Townleap

Cost of Living: London vs Stuttgart (2026)

United Kingdom vs Germany — relocation comparison

Your passport:
London
Stuttgart
$3,000/mo
Rent

1BR centre

$1,157/mo
$15k/yr
Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$17k/yr
5 yr
PR path
5 yr
4-year FIG regime (Foreign Income and Gains)
Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

Freelance setup
Sole Trader
  • VAT-free under €105k
  • 9% social
  • €600/yr accountant
WiseStripe
Freiberufler
  • VAT-free under €25k
  • €1200/yr accountant
WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated June 2026

TL;DRStuttgart is 61% cheaper on rent ($1,157/mo vs $3,000/mo). Stuttgart is safer — homicide rate 0.3 vs 1.1 per 100k. Both countries will let you complain about the government in public — and mean it.
Stuttgart scores 85 to London's 61 on livability — the gap is real. London has its charms, but the numbers favor Stuttgart.
How the livability score breaks down
London
Stuttgart
0/25
💰 Affordability
17.7/25
13.9/15
🔒 Violent Crime
14.7/15
4.5/10
🛡️ Perceived Safety
6.6/10
6.5/15
Internet
15/15
12.5/15
🗳️ Democracy
13.1/15
10/10
🗣️ English
8.8/10
8.3/10
☀️ Climate
9.7/10
6.7/10
📊 Stability
7.7/10
10/10
🚗 Road Safety
9.8/10
7.5/10
🕊️ Geopolitical Safety
7.9/10
Household
London
Metric
Stuttgart
$1159/mo
🛒
Living costs (no rent)
lower is better
$829/mo
$9,238
🧳
Cost to land
lower is better
82 / 100
🛡️
Settler safety
higher is better
88 / 100
1.1 / 100k
🔒
Homicides
lower is better
0.3 / 100k
2.4 / 100k
🚗
Road deaths
lower is better
3.3 / 100k
45 / 100
🚨
Safety Index
higher is better
66 / 100
72°F
☀️
Summer high
personal taste
75°F
39°F
❄️
Winter low
personal taste
32°F
87 Mbps
Internet speed
higher is better
224 Mbps
9.5 μg/m³
🌬️
Air quality (PM2.5)
lower is better
9.2 μg/m³
82 / 100
🏥
Healthcare
higher is better
85 / 100
8.3 / 10
🗳️
Democracy
higher is better
8.7 / 10
6.6 / 9
🤝
Migrant acceptance
higher is better
7.1 / 9
52 / 100
🏳️‍🌈
Rainbow Index
higher is better
66 / 100
100/100
🗣️
Street English
higher is better
73/100
$62k
💼
GDP per capita (PPP)
higher is better
$74k
3.3% · Boringly steady
📈
Inflation
lower is better
2.3% · Boringly steady
92/100 — Reliable
Grid reliability
higher is better
98/100 — Reliable
92/100
🗽
Freedom House
higher is better
95/100
A median Software Engineer in London takes home $7,241/mo under Standard employee. In Stuttgart: $4,519/mo under Standard employee.
$2,722/mo more in London
🎯 London's 4-year FIG regime (Foreign Income and Gains) isn't modelled above — if you qualify, take-home would be $6,826/mo instead.
Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.
$117k
💰
Gross income
$95k
−$26k
🏛️
Income tax
Standard employee
−$22k
−$5k
🛡️
Social contributions
−$18k
$87k/yr
$7k/mo
💵
Take-home pay
$54k/yr
$5k/mo
−$72k
🏠
Cost of living
−$38k
$15k/yr
🐖
Annual savings
$17k/yr
Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated June 2026

💰
Cost of Living
Stuttgart
$1,843/mo cheaper on rent alone
🔒
Safety
Stuttgart
0.3 homicides per 100k
🗳️
Democracy
Stuttgart
8.7/10 EIU index
☀️
Weather
72°F vs 75°F summers

Sun

How much sky you actually get

42% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
Sky clear
avg daytime
37% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
7.8h
Shortest day
Dec
8.3h
16.6h
Longest day
Jun
16.1h

Sun clocks out before 5pm in both cities come December. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

stable
Democracy trend
improving
Inflation trend
fintechaibiotechcreative-tech
Industries
hub
Startup ecosystem
Moderate
🇺🇸 Your visa
Moderate
Moderate
EU visa
Easy
Complex
RU visa
Complex
Moderate
UA visa
Moderate
Partner can work immediately
Spouse works
Recognized (2+ yr)
unmarried partner / civil partnership
Partner pathway
Not recognized
eingetragene Lebenspartnerschaft (now: Ehe)

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

Broad social grounds
Abortion access
On request
24 wk
Gestational limit
12 wk

Requires two doctors' approval under Abortion Act 1967, but broadly available up to 24 weeks.

Not punishable within 12 weeks with mandatory counseling and 3-day waiting period.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal
Marriage
Legal
Joint adoption
Adoption
Joint adoption
Yes
Job protection
Yes
Yes
Hate crime law
Yes

London vs Stuttgart — Common Questions

Is London cheaper than Stuttgart?

Stuttgart is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1157/month there vs $3000/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, London or Stuttgart?

Stuttgart is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. London has a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 and Stuttgart has 0.33 per 100,000.

Should I move to London or Stuttgart?

Stuttgart scores 85 to London's 61 on livability — the gap is real. London has its charms, but the numbers favor Stuttgart. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in London or Stuttgart?

London: UK Skilled Worker Visa (complex process, Up to 5 years). Stuttgart: no specific remote work visa. See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, London or Stuttgart?

Stuttgart is warmer in summer (75°F vs 72°F). London has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

Can I live in London or Stuttgart without speaking the local language?

London is easier for street-level English (100/100) than Stuttgart (73/100). That's the score that matters for doctors, landlords, and bureaucracy. Office English can still run higher than street English in both cities.

What's the cost of rent in London vs Stuttgart?

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1157/month in Stuttgart, $3000/month in London (Numbeo). That's 61% cheaper rent in Stuttgart.

Plot twist: other matchups exist

Maybe the real city was the comparisons we made along the way.

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