Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Manchester

For one person, living is cheaper in Manchester: $2,563 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,563

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX 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 Austin, TX and in Manchester actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $2,563 in Manchester.

Austin, TX $2,704
Manchester $2,563

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,739 in Manchester.

Austin, TX $4,133
Manchester $3,739

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $4,915 in Manchester.

Austin, TX $5,562
Manchester $4,915

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 6% more expensive than in Manchester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Manchester 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$19.48 £14.73

3.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$86.9 £65.7

-2.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$10.57 £7.99

16.84%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.78 £3.61

14.44%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.52 £1.90

51.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.60 £1.21

56.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$7.87 £5.95

2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$6.73 £5.08

33.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.49 £1.12

-24.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.95 £1.47

93.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.93 £1.46

68.39%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.99 £3.02

3.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$9.54 £7.21

37.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$8.95 £6.77

59.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$15.26 £11.53

4.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.04 £2.30

44.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.58 £1.19

-8.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.01 £2.28

50.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.47 £2.63

20.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.49 £1.13

76.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.30 £0.98

81.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.21 £0.91

45.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.27 £0.96

70.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$23.04 £17.42

-57.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$10.84 £8.19

35.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.42 £1.83

14.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.03 £2.29

14.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.57 £1.95

-42.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$104 £78.7

-61.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.49 £3.39

-40.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.08 £1.57

-24.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$29.72 £22.47

18.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.11 £1.59

-53.08%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$38.8K £29.4K

-7.79%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$40.2K £30.4K

-32.40%

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

$219 $219

$243 £184

-9.94%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$16.52 £12.48

251.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$39.77 £30.06

71.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$56.6 £42.75

2.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$18.03 £13.63

-17.80%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$13.05 £9.86

8.28%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$1,246 £942

21.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$19.9K £15.1K

7.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$83.4 £63.1

-38.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$42.34 £32.01

4.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$94.3 £71.3

-9.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$103 £77.8

2.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$1,832 £1,385

5.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$1,238 £935

2.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$3,095 £2,340

18.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$2,006 £1,516

25.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$4,607 £3,482

65.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$4,481 £3,387

-28.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$3,438 £2,599

48.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.82

40.87%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Manchester: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Manchester

$1.2K 49.4% 2.7% $35

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Manchester

$298 11.9% 26% $105

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Manchester

$314 12.5% 9.7% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Manchester

$300 12% 13.3% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Manchester

$145 5.8% 12.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Manchester

$83 3.3% 4.1% $3.5

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Manchester

$129 5.2% 127% $72

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,832 in Manchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 48% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $87.0 in Manchester. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $298, with Manchester cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇬🇧 Manchester

🕒 Local time

20:09 8:09 PM

02:09 2:09 AM

6 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

503,100

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 GBP = 1.32 USD

1 GBP = 1.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.848 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

GBP to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Manchester 7,690 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
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

Austin, TX vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manchester wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Manchester the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 48% higher in Austin, TX, 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $1,832 in Manchester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,563 in Manchester – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Manchester runs roughly 157% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Manchester is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Manchester delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,563 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Manchester hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Manchester gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.