Cost of Living Comparison Between Bath and Manchester Cost of Living Comparison Between Bath and Manchester

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,808 in Bath versus $2,631 in Manchester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,184 in Bath versus $3,842 in Manchester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,560 in Bath versus $5,053 in Manchester.

Living in Bath is roughly 7% more expensive than Manchester, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bath 110% above, Manchester 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.05 £14.86

$20.34 £15.07

-1.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 £74.6

$95.0 £70.4

5.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 £7.92

$10.92 £8.09

-2.11%

Cappuccino

$4.69 £3.47

$4.98 £3.69

-5.82%

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

$2.59 £1.92

$2.62 £1.94

-1.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.28

$1.75 £1.30

-1.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 £5.80

$7.38 £5.47

6.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 £5.17

$7.40 £5.49

-5.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.64 £1.21

18.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 £1.20

$1.70 £1.26

-4.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 £2.16

$2.18 £1.61

33.49%

Eggs

$5.19 £3.85

$3.94 £2.92

31.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.04 £8.92

$12.35 £9.15

-2.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 £7.80

$9.85 £7.30

6.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 £10.74

$17.45 £12.93

-16.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 £2.90

$3.20 £2.37

22.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 £1.20

$1.79 £1.32

-9.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 £2.44

$3.95 £2.93

-16.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 £3.38

$4.28 £3.17

6.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 £1.26

$2.03 £1.50

-16.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 £1.30

$1.87 £1.39

-5.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 £0.90

$1.26 £0.93

-3.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 £1.31

$1.49 £1.10

18.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.25 £14.26

$18.70 £13.86

2.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.91 £8.08

$10.54 £7.81

3.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 £2.37

$2.44 £1.81

31.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.38

$3.46 £2.56

-6.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £1.98

$2.70 £2.00

-0.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$116 £85.8

$121 £89.3

-3.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 £3.99

$5.40 £4.00

-0.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 £1.26

$2.97 £2.20

-42.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.62 £20.47

$33.45 £24.79

-17.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.90 £1.40

-1.58%

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

$38.2K £28.3K

0.10%

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

$43.9K £32.6K

$40.5K £30.0K

8.64%

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

$351 £260

$296 £219

18.62%

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

$18.37 £13.61

$22.50 £16.68

-18.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.24 £35.01

$43.57 £32.28

8.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.66 £36.80

$41.22 £30.54

20.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.70 £8.67

$15.49 £11.48

-24.47%

Cinema Ticket

$13.50 £10.01

$13.83 £10.25

-2.39%

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

$1,800 £1,334

$1,971 £1,461

-8.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K £12.1K

$21.4K £15.9K

-24.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.0 £62.2

$90.1 £66.7

-6.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.33 £36.55

$41.94 £31.08

17.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 £69.6

$88.7 £65.7

5.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.3 £63.2

$107 £79.6

-20.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,649 £1,222

$1,625 £1,204

1.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 £1,030

$1,255 £930

10.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,429 £2,541

$2,665 £1,975

28.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,368 £1,755

$2,052 £1,520

15.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.2K £7,527

$4,750 £3,520

113.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,701 £4,965

$4,542 £3,366

47.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,441 £2,550

$3,392 £2,513

1.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

5.92

-3.04%

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

Last update for Bath: April 25, 2026

Last update for Manchester: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,649 in Bath and $1,625 in Manchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bath pays 1% 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: $101 in Bath vs $95.0 in Manchester for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $333 per month, with Manchester 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

Bath vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manchester is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bath pays 1% more on average, 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: $1,649 in Bath versus $1,625 in Manchester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,808 per month in Bath versus $2,631 in Manchester – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Manchester runs roughly 4% less than in Bath. 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.

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

Expats usually find Manchester gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Bath. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.