How will Meghan Markle find London living in comparison to life in Toronto?

With the news of a royal engagement, American-born Meghan Markle will be swapping the bright lights of Toronto for the UK's cosmopolitan capital of London.

But how do the two cities compare?

Climate

When it comes to the weather, Meghan might find summers in London a tad disappointing.

Toronto tends to enjoy warm and sunny summer months, with temperatures reaching a very pleasant average of 22C in July. The same cannot be said of London, however, where prolonged spells of sunshine are sadly few and far between.

Perhaps it will be in the winter months when Meghan will find some relief?

Yes, the UK can get wet, cold and generally just a little bit miserable, but Canadian winters are notoriously freezing.

Average temperatures in Toronto in January are a spine-chilling minus four, while several months of snow are not unusual.

Population

London is busy. Especially at rush hour on the Tube. But with drivers on hand to take her wherever she wants to go, Meghan will not have to worry about things like that.

She should not find the city too overwhelming, though, as it is pretty similar to Toronto when it comes to size, and she has spent plenty of time here before.

At last count, there were about six million people living in the greater Toronto area, compared to about eight million in Greater London.

Housing

Finding a place to settle down with her prince will not be a problem for Meghan, but London living does come at a higher price than in Canada.

Meghan has lived in the Toronto suburb of Seaton Village, where three-bedroom houses currently on the market will set you back about 1.2 million Canadian dollars (£708,000).

In Kensington, where the royal couple are likely to live, a similar property can cost about £3 million.

Things to do

Meghan is probably unlikely to find much time for herself once she becomes a fully-fledged member of the royal family. But if she does have a spare day or two, there is plenty to do out and about in London.

Having been used to Toronto, with its vibrant theatre scene, world-renowned zoo and the captivating Niagara Falls just a short trip away, Meghan will be pleased to be living in a similarly lively city.

From a boat cruise down the River Thames or a trip on the London Eye, to a spot of shopping on Oxford Street or night out at the theatre, the city has a vast array of options to keep her entertained.

Sports teams

Meghan might have to swot up on a whole host of different sports when she moves to London.

While Toronto is famed for its ice hockey team, as well as basketball, baseball, lacrosse and "soccer", London is more renowned for its football and rugby teams.

Prince Harry is said to be a big Arsenal fan, so perhaps we could be seeing Meghan at one of their games sometime soon.

Where to walk her dogs

Meghan is a big lover of dogs, and has two rescue dogs, a beagle named Guy and a Labrador-shepherd mix called Bogart.

She was not stuck for places to take them for a walk in Toronto, with more than 1,500 parks in the city, including the beautiful Botanic Gardens and the stunning High Park.

Luckily for Meghan, London is not short of green spaces either, with Hyde Park, Holland Park and Kensington Gardens all on her doorstep.