Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilford and St Helens

For one person, living is cheaper in St Helens: $1,993 a month against $2,414 in Ilford, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
97

Cost of Living Index in St Helens
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St Helens Living Index

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Ilford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,414

/mo nomad

St Helens

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$1,993

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ilford and in St Helens

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 St Helens actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,414 per month in Ilford vs $1,993 in St Helens, rent included.

Ilford $2,414
St Helens $1,993

A couple spends around $3,764 per month in Ilford vs $3,045 in St Helens, rent included.

Ilford $3,764
St Helens $3,045

A family of three spends $5,115 per month in Ilford vs $4,098 in St Helens, rent included.

Ilford $5,115
St Helens $4,098

Ilford costs about 21% more than St Helens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ilford and St Helens sit above the global median – Ilford by 79%, St Helens by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.28 £15.97

$26.90 £20.18

-20.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 £70.5

$78.6 £59.0

19.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 £7.89

$10.48 £7.86

0.29%

Cappuccino

$4.60 £3.45

$4.08 £3.06

12.75%

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

$2.81 £2.11

$2.37 £1.78

18.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.38

$1.99 £1.50

-8.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 £5.93

$5.36 £4.02

47.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.43 £4.82

$4.54 £3.41

41.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 £1.23

$1.34 £1.01

22.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 £1.29

$1.77 £1.33

-2.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 £1.72

$1.94 £1.46

18.56%

Eggs

$4.60 £3.45

$4.01 £3.01

14.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 £7.09

$9.00 £6.75

5.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 £7.21

$8.28 £6.21

16.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.45 £11.59

$10.66 £7.99

44.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 £2.21

$3.25 £2.44

-9.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 £1.06

$1.30 £0.97

8.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 £2.22

$3.03 £2.27

-2.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.28 £2.46

$3.45 £2.59

-4.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.25

$1.15 £0.86

45.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 £1.33

$1.83 £1.37

-3.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 £0.96

$1.30 £0.98

-1.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 £1.33

$1.30 £0.98

36.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.20 £16.65

$19.59 £14.70

13.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.16

$9.96 £7.47

9.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 £2.28

$2.86 £2.14

6.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 £2.94

$2.61 £1.95

50.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 £2.57

$2.65 £1.99

29.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.6 £73.3

$100 £75.1

-2.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 £4.05

$3.37 £2.53

59.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 £1.96

$2.07 £1.56

26.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.45 £19.09

$15.82 £11.87

60.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 £1.58

$1.94 £1.46

8.76%

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

$38.9K £29.2K

$26.4K £19.8K

47.44%

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

$40.9K £30.7K

$33.6K £25.2K

21.67%

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

$334 £250

$365 £274

-8.53%

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

$18.31 £13.74

$17.20 £12.91

6.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.86 £30.65

$43.87 £32.91

-6.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.93 £33.70

$26.94 £20.21

66.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.85 £2.89

Cinema Ticket

$17.09 £12.82

$13.42 £10.07

27.35%

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

$2,535 £1,902

$805 £604

214.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.1K £26.3K

$6,625 £4,971

429.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 £66.0

$65.0 £48.78

35.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.25 £34.69

$39.08 £29.32

18.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 £69.8

$72.3 £54.3

28.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 £72.1

$109 £81.7

-11.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 £1,013

$797 £598

69.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 £768

$636 £477

60.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,960 £2,221

$1,503 £1,128

96.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,099 £1,575

$1,257 £943

67.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,983 £3,739

$3,315 £2,487

50.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,831 £2,874

$2,308 £1,731

66.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,485 £2,615

$1,863 £1,398

87.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.04

5.21

-3.26%

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

Last update for Ilford: October 10, 2026

Last update for St Helens: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ilford

$1K 42.4%

St Helens

$636 31.9% 37.9% $388

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ilford

$393 16.3%

St Helens

$426 21.4% 8.4% $33

Eating Out

Ilford

$328 13.6%

St Helens

$349 17.5% 6.4% $21

Groceries & Markets

Ilford

$315 13.1%

St Helens

$276 13.9% 12.4% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Ilford

$146 6%

St Helens

$128 6.4% 11.8% $17

Getting Around

Ilford

$130 5.4%

St Helens

$124 6.2% 4.1% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Ilford

$79 3.3%

St Helens

$54 2.7% 32% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,350 in Ilford versus $797 in St Helens. 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 87% higher in Ilford, 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 $79.0 in St Helens. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $315 vs $276 – making St Helens the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Ilford

🇬🇧 St Helens

🕒 Local time

23:52 11:52 PM

Same time as Ilford

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

168,168

183,200

💱 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 St Helens 280 km

From you

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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 St Helens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilford costs about 21% more than St Helens, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $2,989 in St Helens. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 14% more in Ilford, 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 $79.0 in St Helens. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in St Helens, where all-in costs run around $1,993, than in Ilford at $2,414. In St Helens it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ilford it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward St Helens – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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