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15.8% of Londoners Are Moving to the United States
Around half a million Brits emigrate abroad long-term each year, and with London being the most populated city in the UK it’s no surprise that a lot of these expats come from London. Compare My Move international data has revealed that 27.8% of all moves from the UK abroad came from people living in London.
In this report, we will share the most popular places that Londoners moved to in 2023 and discuss why these countries may be popular with Londoners. Below are the top 10 destinations in which Londoners moved to in 2023.
| Rank | Country | Percentage of Londoners Moving |
|---|---|---|
1 | United States | 15.8% |
2 | Spain | 12.7% |
3 | France | 10.2% |
4 | Italy | 8.7% |
5 | Australia | 6.8% |
6 | Germany | 5.3% |
7 | UAE | 5.1% |
8 | Portugal | 3.4% |
9 | Switzerland | 3.0% |
10 | Netherlands | 2.8% |
The United States takes the top spot as the favoured destination for Londoners moving abroad. With 15.8% of all Londoners who leave the country going to the States, beating second-place Spain by 3.1% of movers. When looking at the entirety of the UK, this statistic switches with Spain beating the US by 0.1%.
Why does London differ from the rest of the UK when looking at where they want to move abroad? A part of this could be due to the US having similarly large cities to London. Our data shows that 18.8% of those from London moving to the US, move to New York and a further 6.7% move to Los Angeles.
Why Are Londoners Moving to New York?
New York and London have similar populations (8.5 million and 9 million respectively) and are both the largest cities by population in their countries. Large cities can be hard to get used to, when moving from one large city to another, you are already accustomed to the way of living. Los Angeles also has a large population of 3.8 million but has a hotter climate than London, being 7.8°C (14°F) warmer than the English Capital. Meaning Londoners can get the city experience with nicer weather.
The cost of living in New York is substantially higher than in London, both cities being known for being pricey. One person's living cost in New York is around £754 more than in London (£3,172 vs £2,418). Yet, this cost of living is backed by a much larger salary, the average monthly salary after tax in New York is £1,940 more than in London (£5,276 vs £3,336).
| Cost of Living Examples | London | New York |
|---|---|---|
Public Transport Pass (Monthly) | £81.50 | £103 |
Gas / Petrol (1L) | £1.57 | £0.86 |
Utility Bills (Monthly - One Person) | £135 | £81.10 |
Gym Membership (Monthly) | £53.20 | £79.20 |
Taxi (5 Miles) | £19.30 | £19.80 |
Dinner in a Restaurant for 2 | £66.10 | £82 |
1 Cinema Ticket | £13.90 | £13.80 |
Beer in a Pub | £6.04 | £6.36 |
Chicken Breast (1kg) | £7.65 | £12.80 |
Cappuccino | £3.59 | £4.26 |
* Data taken from LivingCost.Org
Most goods and services are more expensive in New York than in London, with a few key exceptions. The stand-out exception is utility bills, with London bills for one person being £53.90 more monthly than in New York. This makes a huge difference when living in London on a lower wage than that of New York.
House prices in London are also, on average, higher than in New York despite the lower wages in the English capital. The average price of a house in London is £731,890 ($932,556) while the average price for a house in New York is £627,231 ($799,000). The lower house prices and the lower bill prices could be a big reason Londoners are choosing New York to move to.
“With lower wages, higher house prices, and higher utility bills, some Londoners will be feeling the pinch. New York is a prime candidate for people who want city life outside of the UK, although it does have a higher cost of living on average, higher wages and lower house prices will make up for this.”
- Dave Sayce, Founder, Compare My Move.
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