Cost of Living Comparison Between Romford and San Diego, CA Cost of Living Comparison Between Romford and San Diego, CA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,703 in Romford versus $3,945 in San Diego, CA.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,135 in Romford versus $5,834 in San Diego, CA.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,567 in Romford versus $7,724 in San Diego, CA.

Living in Romford costs roughly 31% less than in San Diego, CA, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Romford 102% above, San Diego, CA 195% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.97 £20.06

$22.60 $22.60

19.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 £82.0

$98.2 $98.2

12.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.15 £7.55

$15.12 $15.12

-32.87%

Cappuccino

$4.71 £3.51

$6.01 $6.01

-21.63%

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

$2.12 £1.58

$2.92 $2.92

-27.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 £1.23

$2.58 $2.58

-35.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.65 £6.44

$8.14 $8.14

6.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 £5.17

$9.05 $9.05

-23.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.38

$1.19 $1.19

56.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 £1.59

$4.57 $4.57

-53.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 £1.83

$4.34 $4.34

-43.09%

Eggs

$5.00 £3.72

$5.09 $5.09

-1.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 £8.39

$13.31 $13.31

-15.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.19 £6.84

$12.88 $12.88

-28.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.51 £10.79

$18.22 $18.22

-20.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 £2.33

$4.78 $4.78

-34.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.70 $1.70

14.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 £2.47

$3.93 $3.93

-15.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.46 £2.57

$4.87 $4.87

-28.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.24

$3.09 $3.09

-45.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 £1.47

$2.37 $2.37

-16.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 £0.87

$2.27 $2.27

-48.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 £1.25

$2.40 $2.40

-30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.24 £15.80

$12.11 $12.11

75.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.38 £9.95

$15.11 $15.11

-11.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 £2.01

$1.77 $1.77

52.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 £2.18

$2.43 $2.43

20.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.58 £2.66

$2.54 $2.54

40.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.1 £65.5

$70.6 $70.6

24.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.63 £3.44

$3.07 $3.07

50.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 £1.14

$2.09 $2.09

-26.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.03 £30.52

$27.53 $27.53

49.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.30 $1.30

46.92%

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

$39.1K £29.1K

$31.4K $31.4K

24.43%

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

$39.4K £29.3K

$26.9K $26.9K

46.50%

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

$316 £235

$273 $273

16.10%

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

$20.10 £14.95

$67.8 $67.8

-70.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.86 £31.88

$80.0 $80.0

-46.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 £37.32

$68.8 $68.8

-27.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.75 $24.75

Cinema Ticket

$17.42 £12.95

$16.29 $16.29

6.94%

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

$1,796 £1,336

$1,622 $1,622

10.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K £14.3K

$29.2K $29.2K

-34.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 £69.2

$59.9 $59.9

55.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.45 £31.57

$57.1 $57.1

-25.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 £81.1

$99.0 $99.0

10.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.5 £65.1

$116 $116

-24.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,895 £1,409

$2,835 $2,835

-33.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,245 £926

$2,354 $2,354

-47.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,452 £2,568

$4,926 $4,926

-29.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,338 £1,739

$4,071 $4,071

-42.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,533 £3,372

$8,217 $8,217

-44.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,695 $6,695

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,820 £2,097

$5,320 $5,320

-47.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.05

6.39

-20.97%

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

Last update for Romford: July 13, 2026

Last update for San Diego, CA: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,895 in Romford and $2,835 in San Diego, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Diego, CA pays 89% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $110 in Romford vs $98.0 in San Diego, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $331 vs $424, with Romford cheaper for home cooking.

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 San Diego, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Romford and San Diego, CA differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($2,703 vs $3,945 including rent). Romford is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 89% lower in San Diego, CA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,895 in Romford versus $2,835 in San Diego, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Romford runs roughly 25% less than in San Diego, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,796 in Romford versus $1,622 in San Diego, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Romford is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Romford and San Diego, CA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Romford gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in San Diego, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.