Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Ilford

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.

194

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Ilford
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Ilford Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$3,986

/mo nomad

Ilford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,414

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Ilford

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

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

London $3,986
Ilford $2,414

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

London $5,791
Ilford $3,764

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

London $7,595
Ilford $5,115

London costs about 65% more than Ilford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.93 £19.45

$21.28 £15.97

21.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £79.9

$93.9 £70.5

13.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £8.03

$10.51 £7.89

1.90%

Cappuccino

$5.47 £4.11

$4.60 £3.45

18.91%

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

$2.97 £2.23

$2.81 £2.11

5.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 £1.65

$1.83 £1.38

20.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.13 £6.85

$7.91 £5.93

15.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 £5.96

$6.43 £4.82

23.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.40

$1.64 £1.23

13.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 £1.55

$1.72 £1.29

20.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 £1.81

$2.30 £1.72

5.22%

Eggs

$5.09 £3.82

$4.60 £3.45

10.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 £9.66

$9.46 £7.09

36.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 £7.82

$9.61 £7.21

8.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 £12.66

$15.45 £11.59

9.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 £2.33

$2.94 £2.21

5.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 £1.05

$1.41 £1.06

-0.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 £2.31

$2.96 £2.22

4.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 £2.45

$3.28 £2.46

-0.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 £1.19

$1.67 £1.25

-5.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 £1.31

$1.77 £1.33

-1.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 £1.05

$1.28 £0.96

9.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.35

$1.77 £1.33

1.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.28 £17.46

$22.20 £16.65

4.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 £9.77

$10.88 £8.16

19.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.38

$3.04 £2.28

4.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 £3.32

$3.92 £2.94

12.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.05

$3.43 £2.57

18.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$247 £185

$97.6 £73.3

152.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.18

$5.39 £4.05

3.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.36 £2.52

$2.61 £1.96

28.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.8 £42.58

$25.45 £19.09

122.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 £1.60

$2.11 £1.58

0.95%

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

$38.2K £28.6K

$38.9K £29.2K

-1.94%

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)

$372 £279

$334 £250

11.59%

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

$17.82 £13.37

$18.31 £13.74

-2.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.37 £30.29

$40.86 £30.65

-1.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.0 £44.99

$44.93 £33.70

33.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 £15.97

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 £13.31

$17.09 £12.82

3.80%

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

$2,864 £2,149

$2,535 £1,902

12.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.3K £26.5K

$35.1K £26.3K

0.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 £85.5

$88.0 £66.0

29.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 £40.71

$46.25 £34.69

17.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 £93.2

$93.0 £69.8

33.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 £122

$96.2 £72.1

69.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,869 £2,152

$1,350 £1,013

112.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,233 £1,675

$1,023 £768

118.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,266 £3,951

$2,960 £2,221

77.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,778 £2,835

$2,099 £1,575

79.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.3K £13.8K

$4,983 £3,739

267.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,024 £6,020

$3,831 £2,874

109.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,037 £3,779

$3,485 £2,615

44.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.74

5.04

-5.95%

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

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ilford: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.2K 56%

Ilford

$1K 42.4% 54.2% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$430 10.8%

Ilford

$393 16.3% 8.7% $38

Eating Out

London

$388 9.7%

Ilford

$328 13.6% 15.4% $60

Groceries & Markets

London

$349 8.8%

Ilford

$315 13.1% 9.8% $34

Getting Around

London

$285 7.2%

Ilford

$130 5.4% 54.5% $156

Clothing & Footwear

London

$205 5.1%

Ilford

$146 6% 29% $59

Sport & Entertainment

London

$95 2.4%

Ilford

$79 3.3% 17.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,869 in London versus $1,350 in Ilford. 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 $107 in London versus $94.0 in Ilford. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $315 – making Ilford the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇬🇧 Ilford

🕒 Local time

00:08 12:08 AM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

168,168

💱 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

On the map

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London Ilford 15 km

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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 Ilford: 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 $5,979 per month in London and $3,620 in Ilford. 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 $107 in London and $94.0 in Ilford. 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.