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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,906 in San Diego, CA versus $2,834 in Romford.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,746 in San Diego, CA versus $4,407 in Romford.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,587 in San Diego, CA versus $5,981 in Romford.

Living in San Diego, CA is roughly 38% more expensive than Romford, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Diego, CA 191% above, Romford 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.14 $23.14

$27.67 £20.57

-16.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$109 £80.8

-7.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.74 $14.74

$10.31 £7.66

42.97%

Cappuccino

$6.04 $6.04

$4.61 £3.42

31.02%

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

$3.03 $3.03

$2.18 £1.62

38.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.56 £1.16

60.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 $7.83

$8.68 £6.45

-9.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.76 $8.76

$6.90 £5.13

26.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.82 £1.35

-31.32%

White Bread (500g)

$4.50 $4.50

$2.06 £1.53

118.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.47 £1.84

79.76%

Eggs

$5.26 $5.26

$5.01 £3.72

4.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.57 $13.57

$11.29 £8.39

20.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.53 $12.53

$8.90 £6.62

40.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$14.70 £10.93

27.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$3.16 £2.35

51.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.94 £1.44

-14.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.29 £2.45

18.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$3.53 £2.62

35.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.75 £1.30

68.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.03 £1.51

21.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.18 £0.88

92.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.60 £1.19

53.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.88 $11.88

$20.72 £15.40

-42.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.86 $14.86

$13.65 £10.14

8.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.79 £2.07

-37.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.92 £2.17

-13.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.69 £2.75

-31.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.5 $72.5

$276 £205

-73.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$4.46 £3.31

-33.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.12 £1.58

-2.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.14 $28.14

$41.15 £30.59

-31.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.89 £1.40

-31.22%

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

$31.1K $31.1K

$39.1K £29.1K

-20.49%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$39.3K £29.2K

-31.98%

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

$272 $272

$322 £239

-15.42%

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

$67.6 $67.6

$19.69 £14.63

243.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.2 $78.2

$42.40 £31.51

84.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.9 $66.9

$50.8 £37.73

31.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 $24.81

Cinema Ticket

$16.20 $16.20

$17.83 £13.25

-9.14%

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

$1,596 $1,596

$1,836 £1,365

-13.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K $28.3K

$19.4K £14.4K

46.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 $59.8

$92.2 £68.6

-35.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.9 $58.9

$42.67 £31.72

38.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 $98.5

$108 £80.1

-8.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$89.4 £66.5

30.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,832 $2,832

$1,873 £1,392

51.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,390 $2,390

$1,220 £907

95.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,901 $4,901

$3,334 £2,478

47.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,183 $4,183

$2,342 £1,741

78.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,232 $8,232

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,581 $6,581

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,342 $5,342

$2,873 £2,135

85.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

5.05

26.53%

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

Last update for San Diego, CA: May 30, 2026

Last update for Romford: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,832 in San Diego, CA and $1,873 in Romford. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Diego, CA pays 86% 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: $101 in San Diego, CA vs $109 in Romford. Groceries flip the comparison at $425 vs $330, 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

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

San Diego, CA and Romford differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($3,906 vs $2,834 including rent). Romford is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

San Diego, CA pays 86% more on average, 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: $2,832 in San Diego, CA versus $1,873 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 281% less than in San Diego, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,596 in San Diego, CA versus $1,836 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.

Safety-wise, San Diego, CA and Romford 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 38% less than in San Diego, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.