Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aberdeen and Manchester

For one person, living is cheaper in Aberdeen: $2,292 a month against $2,510 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Manchester outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Aberdeen, United Kingdom
Manchester, United Kingdom
Aberdeen
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,292
/mo nomad
Manchester
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,510
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aberdeen and in Manchester

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aberdeen and in Manchester actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,292 per month in Aberdeen vs $2,510 in Manchester, rent included.

  • Aberdeen $2,292
  • Manchester $2,510

A couple spends around $3,567 per month in Aberdeen vs $3,643 in Manchester, rent included.

  • Aberdeen $3,567
  • Manchester $3,643

A family of three spends $4,841 per month in Aberdeen vs $4,776 in Manchester, rent included.

  • Aberdeen $4,841
  • Manchester $4,776

Aberdeen is about 9% cheaper than Manchester.

Both Aberdeen and Manchester sit above the global median – Aberdeen by 70%, Manchester by 86%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Aberdeen
Manchester
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.00 £14.89
$20.16 £15.01
-0.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$102 £76.0
$87.5 £65.1
16.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.69 £7.96
$10.78 £8.03
-0.83%
Cappuccino
$4.75 £3.54
$4.78 £3.56
-0.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.86 £2.13
$2.62 £1.95
9.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 £1.63
$1.74 £1.30
26.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.20 £5.36
$7.92 £5.90
-9.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.90 £5.88
$6.52 £4.85
21.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Aberdeen
Manchester
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.55 £1.15
$1.35 £1.00
14.81%
White Bread (500g)
$1.80 £1.34
$1.88 £1.40
-4.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.04 £1.52
$1.92 £1.43
6.25%
Eggs
$4.46 £3.32
$4.04 £3.01
10.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.63 £6.43
$9.58 £7.13
-9.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.31 £9.17
$9.26 £6.89
32.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.59 £12.35
$15.66 £11.66
5.94%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 £2.16
$3.07 £2.28
-5.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.36 £1.01
$1.53 £1.14
-11.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.89 £2.15
$2.91 £2.17
-0.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.79 £2.82
$3.53 £2.63
7.37%
Potato (1kg)
$1.80 £1.34
$1.54 £1.15
16.88%
Onion (1kg)
$1.45 £1.08
$1.38 £1.03
5.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.26 £0.94
$1.21 £0.90
4.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.65 £1.23
$1.38 £1.03
19.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$22.68 £16.88
$24.21 £18.02
-6.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.06 £8.23
$11.05 £8.23
0.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.68 £2.00
$2.49 £1.85
7.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 £2.24
$2.90 £2.16
3.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Aberdeen
Manchester
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.11 £3.06
$2.61 £1.94
57.47%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$120 £89.5
$109 £81.2
10.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.03 £3.00
$4.47 £3.33
-9.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.42 £1.80
$2.21 £1.64
9.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.49 £18.23
$30.93 £23.03
-20.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.17 £1.61
$2.18 £1.62
-0.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.1K £28.4K
$39.2K £29.2K
-2.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.7K £30.3K
$39.9K £29.7K
1.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Aberdeen
Manchester
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$402 £299
$248 £185
61.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.26 £21.04
$16.31 £12.14
73.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.43 £31.59
$39.73 £29.58
6.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Aberdeen
Manchester
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.03 £35.75
$42.93 £31.96
11.88%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.14 £16.48
$17.99 £13.39
23.07%
Cinema Ticket
$11.47 £8.54
$13.46 £10.02
-14.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Aberdeen
Manchester
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,839 £1,369
$1,448 £1,078
26.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.7K £17.6K
$21.0K £15.7K
12.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Aberdeen
Manchester
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$97.4 £72.5
$83.3 £62.0
16.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.27 £35.93
$43.32 £32.25
11.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 £76.7
$95.4 £71.0
7.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$114 £85.0
$99.9 £74.4
14.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Aberdeen
Manchester
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$852 £635
$1,818 £1,353
-53.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$788 £586
$1,234 £918
-36.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,649 £1,227
$2,925 £2,177
-43.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,593 £1,186
$1,921 £1,430
-17.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,635 £1,961
$4,751 £3,537
-44.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,197 £2,380
$4,313 £3,211
-25.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Aberdeen
Manchester
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,053 £3,017
$3,798 £2,828
6.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.11
4.79
6.68%

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

Last update for Aberdeen: November 1, 2026

Last update for Manchester: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Aberdeen
$788
Manchester
$1.2K 56.6% $446
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Aberdeen
$472
Manchester
$304 35.5% $168
Groceries & Markets
Aberdeen
$325
Manchester
$301 7.2% $23
Eating Out
Aberdeen
$321
Manchester
$321 0% $0.1
Clothing & Footwear
Aberdeen
$163
Manchester
$145 11.3% $18
Getting Around
Aberdeen
$153
Manchester
$135 11.6% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Aberdeen
$71
Manchester
$70 1.6% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $852 in Aberdeen versus $1,818 in Manchester. 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 7% higher in Aberdeen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Aberdeen versus $87 in Manchester. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $301 – making Manchester the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Aberdeen
🇬🇧 Manchester
🕒 Local time
02:06 2:06 AM
02:06 2:06 AM
Same time as Aberdeen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
229,060
503,100
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.744 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.832 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Aberdeen Manchester 410 km
From you
  • Aberdeen
  • Manchester

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Aberdeen vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Aberdeen or Manchester?
Manchester costs about 9% more than Aberdeen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Aberdeen and in Manchester?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,439 per month in Aberdeen and $3,765 in Manchester. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Aberdeen or Manchester?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Aberdeen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $852 there versus $1,818 in Manchester.
How much does it cost to live in Aberdeen compared to Manchester?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,292 in Aberdeen and $2,510 in Manchester. That makes Aberdeen about 9% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Aberdeen compared to Manchester?
Public transport costs about 9% less in Manchester. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Aberdeen or in Manchester?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,292 in Aberdeen and $2,510 in Manchester. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Aberdeen or Manchester?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Aberdeen costs $2,292 versus $2,510 in Manchester. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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