Why do sausage rolls and veterinary fees vary in price across London?

Cinnamon the rabbit needs to hop across London for cheaper vet fees

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.

Sausage rolls from Greggs cost more in central London and at transport hubs than in outer London boroughs

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."

Consumer expert Helen Dewdney from The Complaining Cow advises shopping around and using price comparison apps to get the best prices

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:

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.

"It’s not always the nearest one that’s worth going to."

The price list for veterinary treatments at Pets At Home in Chingford where a rabbit castration costs £136

Recent changes to legislation mean that vets must publish a comprehensive price list for standard services but it does not necessarily follow that vets in a different practice at the same chain will have the same prices.

Vets for Pets in Pets At Home is a case in point.

In Pets At Home in Chingford, east London the Vets for Pets practice charges £136 for a rabbit castration including two follow-up consultations.

The same treatment at Vets For Pets in Pets At Home in Enfield, north London costs £70.

Consumer expert Helen Dewdney admits being surprised that the price can almost double from one practice to another.

"I think it's an interesting one, because they're saying it's a franchise and they can set their own prices.

"Although the government did bring in some changes for vets, it wasn't about capping the prices.

It was just that they had to be more transparent," she explained.

Cinnamon the rabbit is just glad he cannot be castrated twice