Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilford and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilford: $2,414 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Ilford
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Ilford Living Index
194

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index

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Ilford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,414

/mo nomad

London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$3,986

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ilford and in London

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ilford and in London actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,414 per month in Ilford vs $3,986 in London, rent included.

Ilford $2,414
London $3,986

A couple spends around $3,764 per month in Ilford vs $5,791 in London, rent included.

Ilford $3,764
London $5,791

A family of three spends $5,115 per month in Ilford vs $7,595 in London, rent included.

Ilford $5,115
London $7,595

Ilford is about 39% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Ilford and London sit above the global median – Ilford by 79%, London by 195%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.28 £15.97

$25.93 £19.45

-17.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 £70.5

$107 £79.9

-11.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 £7.89

$10.71 £8.03

-1.87%

Cappuccino

$4.60 £3.45

$5.47 £4.11

-15.90%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 £2.11

$2.97 £2.23

-5.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.38

$2.20 £1.65

-16.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 £5.93

$9.13 £6.85

-13.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.43 £4.82

$7.94 £5.96

-19.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 £1.23

$1.86 £1.40

-11.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 £1.29

$2.07 £1.55

-16.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 £1.72

$2.42 £1.81

-4.96%

Eggs

$4.60 £3.45

$5.09 £3.82

-9.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 £7.09

$12.87 £9.66

-26.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 £7.21

$10.43 £7.82

-7.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.45 £11.59

$16.87 £12.66

-8.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 £2.21

$3.11 £2.33

-5.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 £1.06

$1.40 £1.05

0.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 £2.22

$3.08 £2.31

-3.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.28 £2.46

$3.27 £2.45

0.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.25

$1.58 £1.19

5.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 £1.33

$1.74 £1.31

1.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 £0.96

$1.40 £1.05

-8.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 £1.33

$1.80 £1.35

-1.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.20 £16.65

$23.28 £17.46

-4.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.16

$13.03 £9.77

-16.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 £2.28

$3.17 £2.38

-4.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 £2.94

$4.42 £3.32

-11.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 £2.57

$4.07 £3.05

-15.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.6 £73.3

$247 £185

-60.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 £4.05

$5.58 £4.18

-3.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 £1.96

$3.36 £2.52

-22.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.45 £19.09

$56.8 £42.58

-55.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 £1.58

$2.13 £1.60

-0.94%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$38.9K £29.2K

$38.2K £28.6K

1.98%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$40.9K £30.7K

0.08%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$334 £250

$372 £279

-10.38%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$18.31 £13.74

$17.82 £13.37

2.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.86 £30.65

$40.37 £30.29

1.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.93 £33.70

$60.0 £44.99

-25.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 £15.97

Cinema Ticket

$17.09 £12.82

$17.74 £13.31

-3.66%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,535 £1,902

$2,864 £2,149

-11.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.1K £26.3K

$35.3K £26.5K

-0.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 £66.0

$114 £85.5

-22.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.25 £34.69

$54.3 £40.71

-14.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 £69.8

$124 £93.2

-25.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 £72.1

$163 £122

-41.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 £1,013

$2,869 £2,152

-52.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 £768

$2,233 £1,675

-54.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,960 £2,221

$5,266 £3,951

-43.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,099 £1,575

$3,778 £2,835

-44.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,983 £3,739

$18.3K £13.8K

-72.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,831 £2,874

$8,024 £6,020

-52.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,485 £2,615

$5,037 £3,779

-30.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.04

4.74

6.33%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ilford: October 10, 2026

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ilford

$1K 42.4%

London

$2.2K 56% 118% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ilford

$393 16.3%

London

$430 10.8% 9.6% $38

Eating Out

Ilford

$328 13.6%

London

$388 9.7% 18.2% $60

Groceries & Markets

Ilford

$315 13.1%

London

$349 8.8% 10.9% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Ilford

$146 6%

London

$205 5.1% 40.9% $59

Getting Around

Ilford

$130 5.4%

London

$285 7.2% 120% $156

Sport & Entertainment

Ilford

$79 3.3%

London

$95 2.4% 20.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,350 in Ilford versus $2,869 in London. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 45% higher in London, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94.0 in Ilford versus $107 in London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $315 vs $349 – making Ilford the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Ilford

🇬🇧 London

🕒 Local time

22:59 10:59 PM

Same time as Ilford

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

168,168

8,908,083 Capital

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Ilford London 15 km

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ilford vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

London costs about 65% more than Ilford, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,620 per month in Ilford and $5,979 in London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ilford, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in London, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94.0 in Ilford and $107 in London. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ilford, where all-in costs run around $2,414, than in London at $3,986. In Ilford it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ilford costs $2,414 versus $3,986 in London. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ilford. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.