Cost of Living Comparison Between Sacramento, CA and Romford Cost of Living Comparison Between Sacramento, CA and Romford

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,257 in Sacramento, CA versus $2,842 in Romford.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,742 in Sacramento, CA versus $4,386 in Romford.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,227 in Sacramento, CA versus $5,931 in Romford.

Living in Sacramento, CA is roughly 15% more expensive than in Romford, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sacramento, CA 144% above, Romford 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$27.47 £20.80

-25.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.8 $76.8

$107 £81.4

-28.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 $10.66

$10.17 £7.70

4.82%

Cappuccino

$5.68 $5.68

$4.63 £3.51

22.68%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$2.12 £1.61

21.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.60 £1.21

27.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$8.53 £6.46

-5.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.71 £5.08

19.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.88 £1.43

-36.70%

White Bread (500g)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.08 £1.58

100.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$2.49 £1.89

126.51%

Eggs

$4.46 $4.46

$4.85 £3.68

-8.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.72 $15.72

$11.18 £8.47

40.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.35 $15.35

$8.81 £6.67

74.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.99 $18.99

$14.90 £11.29

27.45%

Apples (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$3.25 £2.46

63.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.03 £1.54

2.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$3.31 £2.50

24.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$3.48 £2.64

95.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.64 $3.64

$1.77 £1.34

105.65%

Onion (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.03 £1.54

139.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.18 £0.89

136.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.66 £1.26

42.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.42 $11.42

$21.26 £16.11

-46.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.75 $15.75

$13.23 £10.02

19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.81 £2.13

-24.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.00 £2.27

-6.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.73 £2.82

-33.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 $100

$268 £203

-62.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.67 £3.54

-16.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.18 £1.65

-16.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.01 $28.01

$40.41 £30.61

-30.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.96 £1.48

-36.73%

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

$29.7K $29.7K

$38.9K £29.5K

-23.65%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$39.1K £29.6K

-28.48%

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

$332 $332

$328 £248

1.32%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$19.99 £15.14

192.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.4 $75.4

$43.66 £33.08

72.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.99 $44.99

$50.1 £37.96

-10.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.56 $29.56

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 $14.14

$17.97 £13.62

-21.31%

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

$1,697 $1,697

$1,828 £1,385

-7.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.0K $28.0K

$19.0K £14.4K

47.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 $59.7

$92.9 £70.4

-35.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.6 $64.6

$41.77 £31.64

54.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 $94.4

$108 £81.9

-12.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 $125

$89.2 £67.6

40.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 $2,062

$1,872 £1,418

10.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,663 $1,663

$1,218 £923

36.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,502 $3,502

$3,459 £2,620

1.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,897 $2,897

$2,310 £1,750

25.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,918 $4,918

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,481 $3,481

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,599 $4,599

$2,855 £2,163

61.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

5.05

30.10%

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

Last update for Sacramento, CA: June 16, 2026

Last update for Romford: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,062 in Sacramento, CA and $1,872 in Romford. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sacramento, CA pays 61% 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: $77.0 in Sacramento, CA vs $107 in Romford. Groceries flip the comparison at $472 vs $331, 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

Sacramento, CA vs Romford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sacramento, CA and Romford differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($3,257 vs $2,842 including rent). Romford is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 61% higher in Sacramento, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,062 in Sacramento, CA versus $1,872 in Romford. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Romford runs roughly 167% less than in Sacramento, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,697 in Sacramento, CA versus $1,828 in Romford. 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.

Expats usually find Romford gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Sacramento, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.