Have you ever wondered why the same item costs more or less depending on where in London you buy it? Take a bog standard Greggs’ sausage roll for example. If you buy it in an outer London borough like Sutton, it costs £1.35.
But if you buy it in central London you're likely to pay £1.60. You might have guessed that the price difference, according to Greggs, is often about location. "We use national pricing across most of our shops however, this can vary in certain locations where costs are higher than average, such as travel hubs," they told the BBC in a statement.
You might think the price of a pizza at the same chain would be the same wherever in London you eat it. A Duo Romana pizza from Pizza Express costs £20.95 in Muswell Hill, north London. But three miles (5km) further north in Southgate, the same pizza at Pizza Express costs a pound more.
And in central London the same pizza will set you back £22.95. Consumer expert Helen Dewdney from the Complaining Cow, external website says that as well as higher costs in central London, the price difference can also be due to how convenient it is to get to the restaurant. Southgate has a Tube station, Muswell Hill does not.
"It’s all about cashing in on convenience for people. "One will be nearer a Tube, so they’re counting on people saying 'Oh, I'll just get a pizza on the way home'. "Whereas another you might have to make a journey to it." Other examples of cross-borough price variations include: A Vue cinema ticket bought online costs £6.99 in Eltham, but £9.99 in Piccadilly or Angel, Islington A blow dry at Rush hair salon costs from £45 in Kentish Town, north London but £40 in Ilford, east London Fish, chips and a drink in Wetherspoons in Sidcup, south-east London costs £11.18 but the same meal in Camden Town, north London costs £12.77.
Also, petrol prices can vary from pump to pump at the same company and within as little as a mile (1.5km) radius. A recent example from EG On the Move on the same day in London found these price variations: Unleaded (E10): 171.9p – 177.9p per litre Other forecourts also charge more or less if they are near a main road or a motorway or part of a supermarket for example. For this Dewdney recommends downloading a price comparison app like petrolprices.com, external "You can look at the distance as well as the price difference so you’re not driving too far away," she explained.
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