How much does it cost to visit London?

London has one feature that changes the whole budget equation: its major national museums are free. The British Museum, the National Gallery, Tate Modern, the Victoria and Albert and the Natural History Museum charge no admission, and these are exactly the visits you would pay €15 to €25 for elsewhere. You can fill three days with world-class culture without spending a penny on entry.

The contrast with the rest of the budget is stark. Lodging is among the most expensive in Europe: a decent three-star runs around €96 a night, a four-star quickly passes €197. But the gap with the low end is unusually wide: a well-rated hostel sits around €20 a night, which makes London surprisingly reachable for anyone willing to take a dorm or shared room.

Second thing to keep in mind: the currency. The United Kingdom pays in pounds sterling, not euros. The prices shown here are converted, but on the ground every payment goes through an exchange rate, and a card with no foreign transaction fee saves you 2 to 3% each time.

For two people at mid-range comfort, plan roughly €130 to €190 a day, including transport and one restaurant meal. London sits about 20% below Paris across a full trip, but that average hides the real mechanism: very expensive to sleep, nearly free to explore.

In London, price tracks the concentric transport zones far more than the neighborhood itself. Sleeping in zone 2 or 3, ten minutes by tube from the center, often costs 30 to 40% less than zone 1 for identical comfort, and the network is dense enough that the distance barely registers.