Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rochester and London

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.

104

Cost of Living Index in Rochester
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Rochester Living Index
195

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index

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Rochester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,132

/mo nomad

London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,049

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rochester and in London

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

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

Rochester $2,132
London $4,049

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

Rochester $3,270
London $5,827

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

Rochester $4,408
London $7,605

Rochester is about 47% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.66 £19.25

$27.09 £20.33

-5.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.2 £71.4

$104 £78.3

-8.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.06 £7.55

$10.86 £8.15

-7.37%

Cappuccino

$4.99 £3.74

$5.60 £4.20

-10.89%

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

$2.35 £1.76

$3.05 £2.29

-22.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 £1.79

$2.28 £1.71

4.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.21 £3.91

$9.23 £6.92

-43.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 £3.51

$7.95 £5.96

-41.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 £1.36

$1.83 £1.37

-1.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 £1.52

$2.05 £1.54

-1.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 £1.59

$2.47 £1.86

-14.17%

Eggs

$3.55 £2.66

$5.12 £3.84

-30.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.21 £4.66

$12.89 £9.67

-51.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.46 £5.60

$10.84 £8.14

-31.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.78 £11.09

$17.03 £12.78

-13.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 £2.09

$3.07 £2.30

-9.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.38 £1.03

37.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 £1.72

$2.99 £2.24

-23.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 £2.47

$3.39 £2.54

-2.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.60 £1.20

21.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 £0.90

$1.80 £1.35

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 £0.90

$1.41 £1.06

-14.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.30

$1.81 £1.36

-4.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.04 £18.04

$23.92 £17.94

0.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.67 £8.01

$13.54 £10.16

-21.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 £2.30

$3.23 £2.42

-5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 £2.36

$4.39 £3.29

-28.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.10 £3.07

$3.92 £2.94

4.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$243 £182

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 £3.82

$5.58 £4.18

-8.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.67 £2.00

$3.27 £2.46

-18.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.41 £29.57

$58.4 £43.81

-32.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 £1.59

$2.08 £1.56

1.92%

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

$38.0K £28.5K

$38.8K £29.1K

-2.11%

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

$40.3K £30.2K

$40.6K £30.5K

-0.75%

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

$230 £173

$380 £285

-39.36%

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

$16.51 £12.39

$18.62 £13.97

-11.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.34 £27.27

$40.45 £30.35

-10.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.16 £29.38

$61.3 £45.95

-36.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.41 £16.07

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 £13.00

$18.09 £13.57

-4.20%

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

$1,310 £983

$2,905 £2,180

-54.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.8K £23.1K

$35.5K £26.6K

-13.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.7 £68.8

$116 £87.3

-21.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.03 £34.53

$54.5 £40.89

-15.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £77.6

$128 £95.8

-18.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 £68.5

$167 £125

-45.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 £1,152

$2,852 £2,140

-46.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 £714

$2,269 £1,702

-58.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,079 £1,560

$5,250 £3,939

-60.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 £1,271

$3,752 £2,815

-54.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,339 £4,005

$18.5K £13.9K

-71.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,521 £3,392

$8,100 £6,077

-44.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,403 £2,553

$5,109 £3,833

-33.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.12

4.74

8.02%

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

Last update for Rochester: October 17, 2026

Last update for London: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rochester

$952 44.7%

London

$2.3K 56% 138% $1.3K

Eating Out

Rochester

$350 16.4%

London

$400 9.9% 14.4% $50

Groceries & Markets

Rochester

$289 13.6%

London

$353 8.7% 22.3% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rochester

$283 13.3%

London

$439 10.9% 55% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Rochester

$150 7%

London

$209 5.2% 40% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Rochester

$74 3.5%

London

$97 2.4% 32% $24

Getting Around

Rochester

$35 * 1.6%

London

$280 6.9% 705% $246

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

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇬🇧 Rochester

🇬🇧 London

🕒 Local time

20:08 8:08 PM

Same time as Rochester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,982

8,908,083 Capital

💱 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

Lowest

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Between locations

Rochester London 46 km

From you

Rochester
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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

Rochester vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,198 per month in Rochester and $6,073 in London. 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 $2,132 in Rochester and $4,049 in London. That's a gap of about 90%.

Kindergarten costs $1,310 per month in Rochester and $2,905 in London. 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.