Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Rochdale

For one person, living is cheaper in Rochdale: $2,333 a month against $4,048 in London, rent and utilities included – about $20,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

London, United Kingdom
Rochdale, United Kingdom
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,048
/mo nomad
Rochdale
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,333
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Rochdale

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

A single person spends $4,048 per month in London vs $2,333 in Rochdale, rent included.

  • London $4,048
  • Rochdale $2,333

A couple spends around $5,903 per month in London vs $3,357 in Rochdale, rent included.

  • London $5,903
  • Rochdale $3,357

A family of three spends $7,758 per month in London vs $4,380 in Rochdale, rent included.

  • London $7,758
  • Rochdale $4,380

London costs about 73% more than Rochdale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both London and Rochdale sit above the global median – London by 199%, Rochdale by 73%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Rochdale
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.36 £19.55
$25.39 £18.83
3.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$109 £80.5
$88.1 £65.4
23.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 £7.94
$10.40 £7.71
2.98%
Cappuccino
$5.59 £4.14
$4.54 £3.37
23.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 £2.23
$2.49 £1.85
20.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 £1.65
$1.92 £1.42
15.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.65 £7.16
$6.64 £4.92
45.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.26 £6.12
$6.88 £5.11
20.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Rochdale
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.97 £1.46
$1.68 £1.24
17.26%
White Bread (500g)
$2.09 £1.55
$1.78 £1.32
17.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.59 £1.92
$1.97 £1.46
31.47%
Eggs
$5.37 £3.98
$3.99 £2.96
34.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.12 £9.73
$8.02 £5.95
63.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.03 £8.18
$8.53 £6.33
29.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.73 £13.15
$14.32 £10.62
23.81%
Apples (1kg)
$3.17 £2.35
$2.88 £2.14
10.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 £1.03
$1.70 £1.26
-18.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.82 £2.09
$2.78 £2.06
1.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.36 £2.49
$2.96 £2.20
13.51%
Potato (1kg)
$1.70 £1.26
$1.98 £1.47
-14.14%
Onion (1kg)
$1.78 £1.32
$1.43 £1.06
24.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.49 £1.10
$1.19 £0.88
25.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 £1.35
$1.58 £1.18
15.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.85 £17.69
$23.65 £17.54
0.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.44 £9.96
$9.85 £7.31
36.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.11 £2.31
$2.55 £1.89
21.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.49 £3.33
$2.99 £2.22
50.17%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Rochdale
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.13 £3.06
$2.76 £2.05
49.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$266 £197
$98.8 £73.2
169.32%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.98 £4.44
$4.61 £3.42
29.72%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.39 £2.51
$2.14 £1.59
58.41%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$56.6 £41.94
$16.32 £12.10
246.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.21 £1.64
$2.16 £1.60
2.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.3K £28.4K
$38.6K £28.6K
-0.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.0K £30.4K
$39.9K £29.6K
2.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Rochdale
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$372 £276
$255 £189
46.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.66 £13.84
$16.46 £12.21
13.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.53 £30.06
$41.51 £30.78
-2.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Rochdale
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.0 £41.54
$44.43 £32.95
26.09%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.10 £12.68
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$17.95 £13.31
$13.47 £9.99
33.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Rochdale
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,946 £2,184
$1,447 £1,073
103.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$47.6K £35.3K
$17.8K £13.2K
167.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Rochdale
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$116 £86.2
$85.4 £63.3
36.14%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.9 £42.19
$43.21 £32.04
31.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$128 £94.9
$92.4 £68.6
38.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$154 £114
$99.9 £74.1
53.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Rochdale
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,935 £2,177
$1,280 £949
129.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,258 £1,675
$1,036 £769
117.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,250 £3,893
$2,054 £1,523
155.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,859 £2,862
$1,498 £1,111
157.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$17.2K £12.7K
$5,144 £3,815
234.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,278 £6,139
$3,919 £2,906
111.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Rochdale
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,621 £4,168
$2,367 £1,755
137.46%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.78
5.15
-7.18%

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

Last update for London: November 1, 2026

Last update for Rochdale: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.3K
Rochdale
$1K 54.1% $1.2K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$432
Rochdale
$313 27.5% $119
Eating Out
London
$396
Rochdale
$353 10.7% $42
Groceries & Markets
London
$360
Rochdale
$290 19.6% $71
Getting Around
London
$305
Rochdale
$125 59% $180
Clothing & Footwear
London
$205
Rochdale
$144 29.4% $60
Sport & Entertainment
London
$92
Rochdale
$71 22.4% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,935 in London versus $1,280 in Rochdale. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in London are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $109 in London versus $88 in Rochdale. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $360 vs $290 – making Rochdale the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇬🇧 Rochdale
🕒 Local time
02:57 2:57 AM
02:57 2:57 AM
Same time as London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
111,261
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.742 GBP (1 GBP = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 0.835 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Rochdale 270 km
From you
  • London
  • Rochdale

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 Rochdale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in London and in Rochdale compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $4,048 in London, $2,333 in Rochdale – Rochdale comes out roughly 42% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in London compared to Rochdale?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,072 per month in London and $3,500 in Rochdale. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between London and Rochdale?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Rochdale, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,280 there versus $2,935 in London.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 24% more in London, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $109 in London and $88 in Rochdale. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Where should families live: London or Rochdale?
Families tend to lean toward Rochdale – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between London and Rochdale?
If budget matters most, go with Rochdale. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

London vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?