Cost of Living Comparison Between Alton and Manchester Cost of Living Comparison Between Alton and Manchester

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,682 per month in Alton vs $2,637 in Manchester, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,939 per month in Alton vs $3,830 in Manchester, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,195 per month in Alton vs $5,024 in Manchester, rent included.

Alton costs about 2% more than Manchester, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Alton and Manchester sit above the global median – Alton by 94%, Manchester by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.89 £19.87

$20.56 £15.20

30.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 £79.7

$94.0 £69.5

14.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.89 £8.05

$11.03 £8.15

-1.27%

Cappuccino

$5.72 £4.23

$4.82 £3.56

18.67%

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

$3.09 £2.28

$2.53 £1.87

22.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 £1.58

$1.73 £1.28

23.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.51 £7.03

$8.18 £6.05

16.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 £6.52

$6.84 £5.05

29.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.43

$1.45 £1.07

33.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 £1.54

$1.84 £1.36

13.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 £1.84

$1.93 £1.42

29.02%

Eggs

$3.43 £2.54

$3.99 £2.95

-14.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 £9.54

$9.53 £7.04

35.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.96 £8.10

$8.96 £6.62

22.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 £13.59

$15.76 £11.65

16.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 £2.35

$3.21 £2.37

-0.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 £1.05

$1.61 £1.19

-11.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 £2.16

$3.01 £2.23

-2.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 £2.49

$3.42 £2.52

-1.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 £1.25

$1.50 £1.11

12.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 £1.35

$1.33 £0.98

37.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 £1.13

$1.29 £0.95

18.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 £1.37

$1.30 £0.96

43.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.91 £17.67

$24.36 £18.01

-1.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 £7.91

$10.88 £8.04

-1.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 £1.76

$2.46 £1.82

-3.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 £2.05

$3.08 £2.27

-10.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.44 £2.54

$2.68 £1.98

28.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 £77.5

$109 £80.4

-3.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 £4.26

$4.64 £3.43

24.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.44 £2.54

$2.16 £1.60

59.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.69 £18.25

$30.39 £22.46

-18.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 £1.57

$2.09 £1.55

1.91%

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

$39.4K £29.2K

$39.5K £29.2K

-0.18%

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

$41.7K £30.8K

$41.6K £30.8K

0.10%

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

$373 £276

$292 £216

27.64%

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

$19.00 £14.04

$16.65 £12.31

14.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.08 £31.10

$39.66 £29.31

6.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.73 £30.11

$54.3 £40.15

-25.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.86 £13.94

Cinema Ticket

$17.92 £13.25

$13.54 £10.00

32.35%

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

$2,962 £2,189

$1,309 £968

126.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.7K £27.1K

$20.0K £14.8K

83.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 £84.2

$88.1 £65.1

29.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 £40.59

$41.59 £30.74

32.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 £95.3

$95.3 £70.5

35.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 £117

$107 £78.7

48.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,065 £787

$1,816 £1,342

-41.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 £766

$1,295 £957

-19.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,015 £1,489

$3,067 £2,267

-34.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,901 £1,405

$2,020 £1,493

-5.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,034 £3,720

$4,729 £3,495

6.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,650 £2,698

$4,465 £3,300

-18.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,446 £2,547

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

4.87

-5.34%

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

Last update for Alton: September 7, 2026

Last update for Manchester: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,065 in Alton versus $1,816 in Manchester. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Alton versus $94.0 in Manchester. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $342 vs $300 – making Manchester the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Alton vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,682 in Alton, $2,637 in Manchester – roughly 2% apart. Alton costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,022 per month in Alton and $3,955 in Manchester. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manchester, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 4% less in Manchester. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,962 per month in Alton and $1,309 in Manchester. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Manchester, where all-in costs run around $2,637, than in Alton at $2,682. In Manchester it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Manchester has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,637 in Manchester to $2,682 in Alton. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Manchester. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.