Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Rochester

For one person, living is cheaper in Rochester: $2,132 a month against $4,049 in London, rent and utilities included – about $23,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

195

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Rochester
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Rochester Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,049

/mo nomad

Rochester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,132

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Rochester

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

A single person spends $4,049 per month in London vs $2,132 in Rochester, rent included.

London $4,049
Rochester $2,132

A couple spends around $5,827 per month in London vs $3,270 in Rochester, rent included.

London $5,827
Rochester $3,270

A family of three spends $7,605 per month in London vs $4,408 in Rochester, rent included.

London $7,605
Rochester $4,408

London costs about 90% more than Rochester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both London and Rochester sit above the global median – London by 199%, Rochester by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.09 £20.33

$25.66 £19.25

5.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 £78.3

$95.2 £71.4

9.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.86 £8.15

$10.06 £7.55

7.95%

Cappuccino

$5.60 £4.20

$4.99 £3.74

12.22%

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

$3.05 £2.29

$2.35 £1.76

29.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 £1.71

$2.38 £1.79

-4.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.23 £6.92

$5.21 £3.91

77.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 £5.96

$4.68 £3.51

69.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 £1.37

$1.81 £1.36

1.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 £1.54

$2.02 £1.52

1.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 £1.86

$2.12 £1.59

16.51%

Eggs

$5.12 £3.84

$3.55 £2.66

44.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.89 £9.67

$6.21 £4.66

107.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.84 £8.14

$7.46 £5.60

45.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 £12.78

$14.78 £11.09

15.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 £2.30

$2.78 £2.09

10.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 £1.03

$1.90 £1.42

-27.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 £2.24

$2.30 £1.72

30.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 £2.54

$3.29 £2.47

3.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 £1.20

$1.94 £1.45

-17.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.35

$1.20 £0.90

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 £1.06

$1.20 £0.90

17.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 £1.36

$1.73 £1.30

4.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.92 £17.94

$24.04 £18.04

-0.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.54 £10.16

$10.67 £8.01

26.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 £2.42

$3.06 £2.30

5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 £3.29

$3.15 £2.36

39.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 £2.94

$4.10 £3.07

-4.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$243 £182

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.18

$5.09 £3.82

9.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.27 £2.46

$2.67 £2.00

22.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.4 £43.81

$39.41 £29.57

48.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 £1.56

$2.12 £1.59

-1.89%

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

$38.8K £29.1K

$38.0K £28.5K

2.15%

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

$40.6K £30.5K

$40.3K £30.2K

0.75%

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

$380 £285

$230 £173

64.91%

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

$18.62 £13.97

$16.51 £12.39

12.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.45 £30.35

$36.34 £27.27

11.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 £45.95

$39.16 £29.38

56.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.41 £16.07

Cinema Ticket

$18.09 £13.57

$17.33 £13.00

4.39%

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

$2,905 £2,180

$1,310 £983

121.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.5K £26.6K

$30.8K £23.1K

15.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 £87.3

$91.7 £68.8

26.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 £40.89

$46.03 £34.53

18.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 £95.8

$103 £77.6

23.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 £125

$91.3 £68.5

82.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,852 £2,140

$1,536 £1,152

85.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,269 £1,702

$952 £714

138.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,250 £3,939

$2,079 £1,560

152.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,752 £2,815

$1,695 £1,271

121.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.5K £13.9K

$5,339 £4,005

246.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,100 £6,077

$4,521 £3,392

79.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,109 £3,833

$3,403 £2,553

50.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.74

5.12

-7.42%

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

Last update for London: October 19, 2026

Last update for Rochester: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.3K 56%

Rochester

$952 44.7% 58.1% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$439 10.9%

Rochester

$283 13.3% 35.5% $156

Eating Out

London

$400 9.9%

Rochester

$350 16.4% 12.6% $50

Groceries & Markets

London

$353 8.7%

Rochester

$289 13.6% 18.2% $64

Getting Around

London

$280 6.9%

Rochester

$35 * 1.6% 87.6% $246

Clothing & Footwear

London

$209 5.2%

Rochester

$150 7% 28.6% $60

Sport & Entertainment

London

$97 2.4%

Rochester

$74 3.5% 24.2% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,852 in London versus $1,536 in Rochester. 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 50% 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 $104 in London versus $95.0 in Rochester. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $353 vs $289 – making Rochester the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇬🇧 Rochester

🕒 Local time

20:58 8:58 PM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

62,982

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

London Rochester 46 km

From you

London
Rochester

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 Rochester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,049 in London, $2,132 in Rochester – roughly 90% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,073 per month in London and $3,198 in Rochester. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,049 in London and $2,132 in Rochester. That's a gap of about 90%.

Kindergarten costs $2,905 per month in London and $1,310 in Rochester. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rochester, where all-in costs run around $2,132, than in London at $4,049. In Rochester it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,132 in Rochester to $4,049 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Rochester. 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.