We drastically pared down the number if people we buy gifts for . We do make candy and cookies for coworkers and bosses though . <| sep |> I live in NYC now , used to live in London . They are both pretty expensive , but in my experience the little things are a lot cheaper in NYC and the bigticket items are more expensive in NYC . For example , it costs me $ 1 lb to get my clothes washed in NY , it cost me twice that in London . Dry cleaning is also like half the price in NYC as opposed to London . The subway is a lot cheaper than the tube . Your everyday sort of decent restaurant in NYC might have an entre for $ 1520 , in London it will be around 1520 so more expensive . Taxis are at least half the price in NYC , probably more . Groceries are a lot cheaper in NYC than in London too . However , rent is a lot higher in NYC . I ' m paying a third more in rent now than I was in London , and my place is if anything worse . NYC just lacks affordable places that are close enough to the Midtownwork places and Downtownfun places . Even if London rents might be on average higher , there ' s more affordable housing mixed in among the insanity . I also have to pay for things like health insurance . Utilities are more expensive when you add in internet , phone plan , etc . . But you also make more money in NYC than in London , so I think you come out ahead here . Starting salary in my industry is $ 180 k in NYC and around 90 k in London . It ' s a similar story in finance .