Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Romford and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Romford: $2,694 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Romford
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Romford Living Index
195

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index

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Romford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,694

/mo nomad

London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,086

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Romford 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 Romford and in London actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,694 per month in Romford vs $4,086 in London, rent included.

Romford $2,694
London $4,086

A couple spends around $4,132 per month in Romford vs $5,891 in London, rent included.

Romford $4,132
London $5,891

A family of three spends $5,571 per month in Romford vs $7,696 in London, rent included.

Romford $5,571
London $7,696

Romford is about 34% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Romford and London sit above the global median – Romford by 98%, London by 200%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.10 £18.14

$26.55 £19.98

-9.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 £79.2

$107 £80.5

-1.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.55 £7.94

$10.78 £8.12

-2.13%

Cappuccino

$4.84 £3.64

$5.71 £4.30

-15.24%

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

$2.70 £2.03

$3.01 £2.26

-10.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.38

$2.29 £1.72

-19.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.67 £5.77

$9.08 £6.84

-15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.72 £5.06

$8.07 £6.07

-16.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.43

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 £1.37

$2.03 £1.53

-10.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 £1.96

$2.45 £1.84

6.53%

Eggs

$4.90 £3.69

$5.07 £3.82

-3.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.62 £7.24

$12.71 £9.56

-24.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 £7.05

$10.61 £7.99

-11.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.91 £11.97

$17.68 £13.31

-10.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 £2.28

$3.17 £2.39

-4.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 £1.07

$1.45 £1.09

-2.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 £2.55

$3.13 £2.36

8.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 £2.58

$3.41 £2.57

0.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.26

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.35

$1.77 £1.33

1.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 £0.97

$1.43 £1.08

-10.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 £1.37

$1.87 £1.41

-2.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.19 £17.46

$23.91 £17.99

-3.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.05 £9.82

$13.48 £10.14

-3.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.43

$3.08 £2.32

4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 £3.08

$4.39 £3.31

-6.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.70 £3.54

$4.08 £3.07

15.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.6 £71.9

$252 £190

-62.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.75 £4.32

$5.74 £4.32

0.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.60 £1.95

$3.35 £2.52

-22.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.72 £19.36

$57.2 £43.07

-55.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 £1.61

$2.08 £1.57

2.40%

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

$38.7K £29.1K

$38.0K £28.6K

1.83%

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

$40.3K £30.4K

$40.4K £30.4K

-0.16%

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

$377 £284

$387 £291

-2.62%

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

$18.56 £13.97

$18.57 £13.98

-0.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.28 £31.82

$40.69 £30.62

3.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 £38.14

$57.6 £43.33

-11.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 £14.87

Cinema Ticket

$16.99 £12.78

$18.33 £13.79

-7.31%

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

$2,606 £1,961

$2,957 £2,225

-11.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.3K £27.4K

$35.9K £27.0K

1.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.2 £67.9

$119 £89.4

-24.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.96 £36.10

$56.3 £42.35

-14.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 £70.7

$131 £98.5

-28.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 £94.3

$165 £124

-23.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,900 £1,430

$2,811 £2,116

-32.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,194 £899

$2,291 £1,724

-47.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,265 £2,457

$5,185 £3,902

-37.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,312 £1,740

$3,805 £2,864

-39.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,068 £3,814

$17.7K £13.3K

-71.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,873 £2,915

$8,405 £6,325

-53.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,773 £2,087

$5,070 £3,816

-45.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

4.38%

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

Last update for Romford: October 25, 2026

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Romford

$1.2K 44.3%

London

$2.3K 56.1% 91.9% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Romford

$438 16.3%

London

$446 10.9% 2% $8.6

Eating Out

Romford

$352 13.1%

London

$396 9.7% 12.4% $44

Groceries & Markets

Romford

$331 12.3%

London

$356 8.7% 7.4% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Romford

$161 6%

London

$212 5.2% 31.6% $51

Getting Around

Romford

$133 4.9%

London

$291 7.1% 119% $158

Sport & Entertainment

Romford

$85 3.1%

London

$94 2.3% 11.3% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,900 in Romford versus $2,811 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 83% higher in London. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Romford versus $107 in London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $331 vs $356 – making Romford the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Romford

🇬🇧 London

🕒 Local time

12:29 12:29 PM

Same time as Romford

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,894

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

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Between locations

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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

Romford vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,694 in Romford, $4,086 in London – roughly 52% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,040 per month in Romford and $6,129 in London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Romford, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,900 there versus $2,811 in London.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,694 in Romford and $4,086 in London. That’s a gap of about 52%.

Kindergarten costs $2,606 per month in Romford and $2,957 in London. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Romford, where all-in costs run around $2,694, than in London at $4,086. In Romford it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Romford – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Romford. 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.