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: $3,205 in Sacramento, CA versus $2,755 in Romford.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,614 in Sacramento, CA versus $4,236 in Romford.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,023 in Sacramento, CA versus $5,718 in Romford.

Living in Sacramento, CA is roughly 16% more expensive than in Romford, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sacramento, CA 132% above, Romford 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.88 $20.88

$24.29 £17.95

-14.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 $93.9

$108 £79.8

-13.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.53 $12.53

$10.84 £8.01

15.59%

Cappuccino

$5.25 $5.25

$4.83 £3.57

8.70%

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

$2.75 $2.75

$2.73 £2.02

0.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.84 £1.36

57.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$8.17 £6.04

-1.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.18 $8.18

$7.43 £5.49

10.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.91 £1.41

-31.41%

White Bread (500g)

$4.03 $4.03

$1.82 £1.35

121.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$2.53 £1.87

77.87%

Eggs

$5.79 $5.79

$4.80 £3.55

20.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.91 $14.91

$10.18 £7.52

46.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.11 $17.11

$9.42 £6.96

81.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.46 $18.46

$15.89 £11.75

16.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.12 £2.31

64.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.44 £1.07

39.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$3.46 £2.56

29.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.08 $6.08

$3.52 £2.60

72.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.67 $3.67

$1.70 £1.26

115.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.85 £1.36

78.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.27 £0.94

96.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.89 £1.39

39.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.48 $11.48

$23.77 £17.57

-51.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.60 $15.60

$13.63 £10.08

14.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.21 £2.37

-15.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 $3.63

$4.01 £2.96

-9.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 $2.53

$4.65 £3.44

-45.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.0 $98.0

$95.6 £70.7

2.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.78 £4.28

-29.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.77 £2.04

-30.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.35 $25.35

$24.07 £17.79

5.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.14 £1.58

-28.04%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

$39.0K £28.8K

-3.28%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$40.9K £30.2K

-31.99%

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

$282 $282

$369 £273

-23.51%

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

$60.6 $60.6

$18.70 £13.82

223.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.0 $67.0

$46.02 £34.01

45.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 $50.4

$51.4 £37.99

-2.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.04 $41.04

Cinema Ticket

$16.77 $16.77

$17.69 £13.07

-5.20%

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

$1,563 $1,563

$2,573 £1,902

-39.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K $18.9K

$30.2K £22.3K

-37.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.3 $61.3

$89.9 £66.4

-31.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.04 $47.04

$48.53 £35.87

-3.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 $94.0

$95.2 £70.3

-1.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$129 £95.3

-0.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,068 $2,068

$1,898 £1,403

8.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 $1,573

$1,198 £885

31.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,334 $3,334

$3,445 £2,546

-3.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,599 $2,599

$2,325 £1,719

11.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,701 $4,701

$4,923 £3,639

-4.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,482 $3,482

$3,864 £2,856

-9.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,484 $4,484

$2,833 £2,094

58.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

23.80%

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

Last update for Sacramento, CA: September 7, 2026

Last update for Romford: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,068 in Sacramento, CA and $1,898 in Romford. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sacramento, CA pays 58% 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: $94.0 in Sacramento, CA vs $108 in Romford. Groceries flip the comparison at $478 vs $335, 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 16% in total monthly costs ($3,205 vs $2,755 including rent). Romford is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 58% 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: $2,068 in Sacramento, CA versus $1,898 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 2% less than in Sacramento, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,563 in Sacramento, CA versus $2,573 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 16% less than in Sacramento, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.