Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basildon and Manchester

For one person, living is cheaper in Basildon: $2,374 a month against $2,499 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Manchester despite lower rent and utilities.

115

Cost of Living Index in Basildon
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Basildon Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index

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Basildon

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,374

/mo nomad

Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,374 per month in Basildon vs $2,499 in Manchester, rent included.

Basildon $2,374
Manchester $2,499

A couple spends around $3,407 per month in Basildon vs $3,623 in Manchester, rent included.

Basildon $3,407
Manchester $3,623

A family of three spends $4,441 per month in Basildon vs $4,747 in Manchester, rent included.

Basildon $4,441
Manchester $4,747

Basildon is about 5% cheaper than Manchester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Basildon and Manchester sit above the global median – Basildon by 74%, Manchester by 84%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.45 £15.28

$20.22 £15.11

1.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.5 £44.45

$86.0 £64.3

-30.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 £6.83

$10.74 £8.02

-14.90%

Cappuccino

$4.76 £3.56

$4.68 £3.50

1.71%

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

$3.21 £2.40

$2.44 £1.82

31.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.62 £1.21

-3.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.78 £5.06

$7.78 £5.81

-12.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 £2.93

$6.70 £5.01

-41.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 £0.98

$1.51 £1.12

-12.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 £1.57

$1.88 £1.41

11.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 £1.13

$1.94 £1.45

-21.65%

Eggs

$4.05 £3.02

$4.08 £3.04

-0.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.53 £6.37

$9.61 £7.18

-11.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 £3.46

$8.98 £6.71

-48.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.84 £8.84

$15.41 £11.51

-23.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 £2.35

$3.09 £2.31

1.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 £0.97

$1.58 £1.18

-17.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 £1.49

$2.95 £2.20

-32.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.26 £2.43

$3.35 £2.50

-2.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 £1.17

$1.51 £1.13

3.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 £1.38

$1.35 £1.01

37.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 £0.79

$1.26 £0.94

-15.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 £0.89

$1.23 £0.92

-4.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.22 £15.11

$24.05 £17.96

-15.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 £8.00

$10.88 £8.13

-1.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 £1.75

$2.43 £1.81

-3.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 £1.21

$3.17 £2.37

-48.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £2.00

$2.73 £2.04

-1.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.6 £50.5

$108 £80.6

-37.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 £3.96

$4.52 £3.37

17.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 £1.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.82 £23.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.44

$2.14 £1.60

-9.81%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$38.5K £28.7K

-0.69%

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

$40.3K £30.1K

$40.0K £29.9K

0.67%

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

$284 £212

$252 £189

12.44%

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

$13.36 £9.98

$16.23 £12.12

-17.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.04 £26.18

$39.58 £29.57

-11.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.46 £33.21

$42.67 £31.88

4.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.04 £20.20

$18.05 £13.49

49.81%

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 £10.52

$13.44 £10.04

4.76%

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

$2,229 £1,665

$1,494 £1,116

49.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.2K £21.8K

$19.7K £14.7K

48.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 £56.5

$83.5 £62.4

-9.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 £39.15

$42.97 £32.10

21.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.3 £40.57

$95.0 £71.0

-42.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.8 £39.44

$106 £79.1

-50.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 £1,253

$1,785 £1,334

-6.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 £911

$1,222 £913

-0.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,358 £1,762

$2,930 £2,189

-19.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 £1,503

$1,899 £1,419

5.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,273 £3,939

$4,668 £3,487

12.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,358 £2,509

$4,397 £3,285

-23.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,893 £2,162

$3,395 £2,536

-14.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.4

4.82

12.03%

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

Last update for Basildon: October 25, 2026

Last update for Manchester: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Basildon

$1.2K 51.4%

Manchester

$1.2K 48.9% 0.3% $3.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basildon

$332 14%

Manchester

$308 12.3% 7.2% $24

Eating Out

Basildon

$309 13%

Manchester

$319 12.8% 3.1% $9.7

Groceries & Markets

Basildon

$252 10.6%

Manchester

$299 12% 18.7% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Basildon

$106 4.5%

Manchester

$147 5.9% 39.3% $42

Getting Around

Basildon

$84 * 3.5%

Manchester

$134 5.4% 60.7% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Basildon

$73 3.1%

Manchester

$70 2.8% 4.2% $3.1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,677 in Basildon versus $1,785 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 17% higher in Manchester. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59 in Basildon versus $86 in Manchester. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $299 – making Basildon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Basildon

🇬🇧 Manchester

🕒 Local time

07:01 7:01 AM

Same time as Basildon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

184,479

503,100

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Basildon Manchester 280 km

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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

Basildon vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manchester costs about 5% more than Basildon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,561 per month in Basildon and $3,749 in Manchester. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,677 in Basildon and $1,785 in Manchester. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,374 in Basildon and $2,499 in Manchester. That makes Basildon about 5% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Basildon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,374 in Basildon and $2,499 in Manchester. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Manchester has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,374 in Basildon to $2,499 in Manchester. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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