Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Rockford, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Rockford, IL: $2,166 a month against $2,359 in London, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

London
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,359
/mo nomad
Rockford, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,166
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Rockford, IL

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in London versus $2,166 in Rockford, IL.

  • London $2,359
  • Rockford, IL $2,166

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,355 in London versus $3,480 in Rockford, IL.

  • London $3,355
  • Rockford, IL $3,480

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,351 in London versus $4,794 in Rockford, IL.

  • London $4,351
  • Rockford, IL $4,794

Living in London is roughly 9% more expensive than in Rockford, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 74% above, Rockford, IL 60% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Rockford, IL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.18 CA$29.94
$15.72 $15.72
34.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$63.1 CA$89.2
$73.6 $73.6
-14.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.23 CA$17.29
$9.97 $9.97
22.67%
Cappuccino
$3.67 CA$5.19
$5.03 $5.03
-27.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 CA$3.08
$2.82 $2.82
-22.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 CA$3.08
$1.99 $1.99
9.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.55 CA$9.27
$4.59 $4.59
42.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.28 CA$8.88
$6.83 $6.83
-8.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Rockford, IL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.98 CA$2.79
$0.82 $0.82
141.46%
White Bread (500g)
$2.69 CA$3.80
$3.40 $3.40
-20.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.91 CA$5.53
$5.30 $5.30
-26.23%
Eggs
$3.67 CA$5.19
$2.91 $2.91
26.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.16 CA$14.37
$10.07 $10.07
0.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.60 CA$16.40
$13.99 $13.99
-17.08%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.91 CA$21.08
$16.79 $16.79
-11.20%
Apples (1kg)
$4.35 CA$6.15
$4.78 $4.78
-9.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.24 CA$1.76
$1.53 $1.53
-18.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.75 CA$5.30
$3.79 $3.79
-1.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.02 CA$5.69
$5.15 $5.15
-21.94%
Potato (1kg)
$3.05 CA$4.31
$2.45 $2.45
24.49%
Onion (1kg)
$3.04 CA$4.29
$2.59 $2.59
17.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.55 CA$3.61
$2.23 $2.23
14.35%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.52 CA$2.15
$1.85 $1.85
-17.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.81 CA$16.70
$10.97 $10.97
7.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.91 CA$18.25
$15.82 $15.82
-18.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.44 CA$3.46
$1.99 $1.99
22.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 CA$4.01
$1.86 $1.86
52.69%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Rockford, IL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.27 CA$3.21
$1.52 $1.52
49.34%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$79.4 CA$112
$55.5 $55.5
43.09%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.53 CA$3.57
$2.75 $2.75
-8.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.71 CA$2.42
$1.58 $1.58
8.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.96 CA$31.05
$20.70 $20.70
6.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.24 CA$1.76
$1.04 $1.04
19.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.0K CA$38.2K
$33.5K $33.5K
-19.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.8K CA$32.2K
$26.2K $26.2K
-12.98%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Rockford, IL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$139 CA$197
$192 $192
-27.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$39.70 CA$56.1
$45.71 $45.71
-13.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$57.0 CA$80.5
$71.1 $71.1
-19.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Rockford, IL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.60 CA$53.2
$41.82 $41.82
-10.09%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.03 CA$41.04
$25.44 $25.44
14.11%
Cinema Ticket
$10.48 CA$14.82
$14.03 $14.03
-25.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Rockford, IL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$410 CA$580
$520 $520
-21.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.3K CA$28.6K
$4,074 $4,074
397.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Rockford, IL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.0 CA$75.0
$45.23 $45.23
17.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.23 CA$55.5
$35.80 $35.80
9.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.1 CA$115
$93.1 $93.1
-12.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.7 CA$127
$113 $113
-20.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Rockford, IL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,297 CA$1,834
$1,293 $1,293
0.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,172 CA$1,656
$925 $925
26.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,066 CA$2,920
$2,298 $2,298
-10.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,682 CA$2,378
$2,040 $2,040
-17.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,510 CA$4,962
$1,476 $1,476
137.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,683 CA$5,207
$1,421 $1,421
159.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Rockford, IL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,092 CA$4,371
$3,398 $3,398
-9.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.72
6.49
-27.27%

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

Last update for London: October 20, 2026

Last update for Rockford, IL: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$1.2K
Rockford, IL
$925 21% $246
Groceries & Markets
London
$362
Rockford, IL
$389 7.4% $27
Eating Out
London
$313
Rockford, IL
$272 13.1% $41
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$236
Rockford, IL
$309 31.1% $73
Clothing & Footwear
London
$118
Rockford, IL
$129 9% $11
Getting Around
London
$100
Rockford, IL
$72 27.4% $27
Sport & Entertainment
London
$59
Rockford, IL
$70 19.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,297 in London and $1,293 in Rockford, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rockford, IL pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in London vs $74.0 in Rockford, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $362 vs $389 per month, with London cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 London
🇺🇸 Rockford, IL
🕒 Local time
22:34 10:34 PM
21:34 9:34 PM
1 h behind London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
383,822
148,655
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Rockford, IL 650 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • London
  • Rockford, IL

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
London vs Rockford, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rockford, IL cheaper than London?
Rockford, IL is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and transport. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: London or Rockford, IL?
On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Rockford, IL. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between London and Rockford, IL?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,297 in London versus $1,293 in Rockford, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in London and in Rockford, IL?
All in, you'll spend $2,359 per month in London versus $2,166 in Rockford, IL – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Rockford, IL runs roughly 43% less than in London. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in London or in Rockford, IL?
At $2,166 in Rockford, IL versus $2,359 in London, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rockford, IL but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Rockford, IL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is London or Rockford, IL more family-friendly?
For families, Rockford, IL is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in London, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, London or Rockford, IL?
Safety-wise, London and Rockford, IL are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Rockford, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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