Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashford and Manchester Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashford and Manchester

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,269 in Ashford versus $2,684 in Manchester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,205 in Ashford versus $3,957 in Manchester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,141 in Ashford versus $5,230 in Manchester.

Living in Ashford costs roughly 15% less than in Manchester, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ashford 70% above, Manchester 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.00 £14.89

$20.17 £15.01

-0.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.6 £70.5

$96.9 £72.1

-2.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 £8.12

$10.78 £8.02

1.21%

Cappuccino

$4.10 £3.05

$5.10 £3.80

-19.61%

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

$2.86 £2.13

$2.53 £1.88

13.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 £1.52

$1.68 £1.25

21.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.27 £4.67

$7.31 £5.44

-14.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 £4.58

$7.67 £5.71

-19.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.69 £1.26

13.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.71 £1.27

-15.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 £2.08

$2.25 £1.68

24.00%

Eggs

$3.71 £2.76

$4.07 £3.03

-8.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.27 £4.67

$12.25 £9.12

-48.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.81 £5.07

$9.42 £7.02

-27.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 £9.74

$17.22 £12.82

-24.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 £2.37

$3.35 £2.50

-4.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 £1.48

$1.80 £1.34

10.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 £2.80

$4.01 £2.99

-6.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.59 £2.68

$4.14 £3.08

-13.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 £1.45

$2.05 £1.52

-5.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 £1.54

$1.80 £1.34

15.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 £0.90

$1.25 £0.93

-3.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.13

$1.49 £1.11

2.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.67 £14.64

$19.21 £14.30

2.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.27 £6.90

$10.00 £7.45

-7.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 £2.64

$2.46 £1.83

43.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 £3.10

$3.61 £2.69

15.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.40 £2.53

$2.65 £1.97

28.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.2 £65.6

$122 £90.6

-27.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.82 £5.08

$5.33 £3.97

27.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 £1.18

$2.86 £2.13

-44.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$54.3 £40.41

$33.58 £25.00

61.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.89 £1.40

-0.53%

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

$24.1K £17.9K

$38.7K £28.8K

-37.83%

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

$27.0K £20.1K

$41.5K £30.9K

-34.99%

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

$254 £189

$302 £225

-15.83%

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

$15.60 £11.61

$22.97 £17.10

-32.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.17 £25.44

$43.39 £32.30

-21.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 £43.48

$40.99 £30.52

42.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.62 £11.63

Cinema Ticket

$16.36 £12.18

$13.50 £10.05

21.19%

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

$2,230 £1,660

$1,984 £1,477

12.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K £17.4K

$21.0K £15.6K

11.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.7 £63.8

$91.3 £67.9

-6.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.25 £21.77

$42.23 £31.44

-30.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 £64.6

$88.1 £65.6

-1.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 £68.1

$108 £80.6

-15.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 £952

$1,638 £1,220

-21.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 £752

$1,256 £935

-19.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 £1,366

$2,747 £2,045

-33.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 £956

$2,049 £1,526

-37.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,378 £4,749

$4,946 £3,682

28.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,798 £3,572

$4,671 £3,478

2.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,508 £1,867

$3,154 £2,348

-20.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

5.92

-6.42%

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

Last update for Ashford: July 13, 2026

Last update for Manchester: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,279 in Ashford and $1,638 in Manchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manchester pays 26% 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: $95.0 in Ashford vs $97.0 in Manchester for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $331 per month, with Ashford cheaper across the board.

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

Ashford vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ashford is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Manchester. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,279 in Ashford versus $1,638 in Manchester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ashford – a meal for two runs $95.0 versus $97.0 in Manchester. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,269 per month in Ashford versus $2,684 in Manchester – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,269 in Ashford versus $2,684 in Manchester, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ashford but tight or insufficient in Manchester. The gap between the two cities makes Ashford the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ashford is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Manchester, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ashford and Manchester 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 Ashford gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.