Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bradford and Manchester

For one person, living is cheaper in Bradford: $2,040 a month against $2,544 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Bradford
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Bradford Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index

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Bradford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,040

/mo nomad

Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,544

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,040 per month in Bradford vs $2,544 in Manchester, rent included.

Bradford $2,040
Manchester $2,544

A couple spends around $2,987 per month in Bradford vs $3,691 in Manchester, rent included.

Bradford $2,987
Manchester $3,691

A family of three spends $3,933 per month in Bradford vs $4,839 in Manchester, rent included.

Bradford $3,933
Manchester $4,839

Bradford is about 20% cheaper than Manchester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Bradford and Manchester sit above the global median – Bradford by 51%, Manchester by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.85 £15.64

$19.64 £14.74

6.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.5 £57.4

$87.7 £65.8

-12.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 £7.94

$10.47 £7.85

1.15%

Cappuccino

$4.34 £3.26

$4.85 £3.64

-10.52%

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

$2.39 £1.80

$2.49 £1.87

-4.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 £1.51

$1.68 £1.26

19.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 £4.56

$7.75 £5.81

-21.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 £4.02

$6.72 £5.04

-20.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.43 £1.07

2.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 £1.09

$1.94 £1.45

-25.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 £2.15

$1.87 £1.40

52.94%

Eggs

$3.98 £2.99

$3.97 £2.98

0.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 £6.44

$9.40 £7.05

-8.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.63 £6.47

$9.02 £6.77

-4.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.16 £10.62

$15.39 £11.55

-7.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 £2.34

$3.09 £2.32

0.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 £1.44

$1.58 £1.19

21.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 £2.08

$3.03 £2.28

-8.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 £2.50

$3.37 £2.52

-1.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 £1.36

$1.56 £1.17

16.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 £1.28

$1.36 £1.02

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 £0.91

$1.20 £0.90

0.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 £1.21

$1.27 £0.95

26.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.57 £15.43

$23.80 £17.85

-13.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 £7.82

$11.11 £8.34

-6.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 £2.49

$2.50 £1.88

32.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.46

$3.12 £2.34

4.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 £2.04

$2.67 £2.00

1.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.2 £49.66

$104 £77.8

-36.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 £3.28

$4.51 £3.39

-3.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 £1.07

$2.18 £1.64

-34.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.79 £14.85

$29.56 £22.18

-33.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.50

$2.11 £1.58

-5.69%

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

$38.5K £28.9K

$37.5K £28.1K

2.93%

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

$40.6K £30.5K

$40.3K £30.2K

0.78%

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

$339 £254

$250 £188

35.46%

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

$20.18 £15.14

$16.38 £12.29

23.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.92 £32.20

$40.35 £30.27

6.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.11 £26.34

$55.5 £41.65

-36.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 £14.56

$18.33 £13.75

5.89%

Cinema Ticket

$13.40 £10.06

$13.11 £9.84

2.21%

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

$1,195 £897

$1,240 £930

-3.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.2K £16.6K

$19.5K £14.6K

13.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 £65.6

$84.5 £63.4

3.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.64 £34.24

$41.39 £31.05

10.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 £68.1

$91.6 £68.7

-0.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 £67.8

$103 £77.6

-12.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 £634

$1,827 £1,371

-53.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 £553

$1,267 £950

-41.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 £1,011

$3,044 £2,284

-55.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 £881

$1,983 £1,488

-40.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,048 £3,037

$4,537 £3,403

-10.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,916 £2,188

$4,324 £3,244

-32.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,406 £2,555

$3,329 £2,498

2.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

4.82

3.53%

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

Last update for Bradford: October 12, 2026

Last update for Manchester: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bradford

$738 36.2%

Manchester

$1.3K 49.8% 71.7% $529

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bradford

$402 19.7%

Manchester

$307 12.1% 23.6% $95

Eating Out

Bradford

$309 15.2%

Manchester

$316 12.4% 2% $6.3

Groceries & Markets

Bradford

$300 14.7%

Manchester

$299 11.8% 0.3% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

Bradford

$141 6.9%

Manchester

$144 5.7% 2.1% $3

Getting Around

Bradford

$89 4.3%

Manchester

$130 5.1% 46.5% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Bradford

$62 3%

Manchester

$82 3.2% 32% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $845 in Bradford versus $1,827 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 2% higher in Bradford, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Bradford versus $88.0 in Manchester. Groceries tell a different story – $300 in Bradford vs $299 in Manchester – so Manchester wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Bradford

🇬🇧 Manchester

🕒 Local time

01:32 1:32 AM

Same time as Bradford

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

293,717

503,100

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bradford Manchester 48 km

From you

Bradford
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

Bradford vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,040 in Bradford, $2,544 in Manchester – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,061 per month in Bradford and $3,816 in Manchester. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Manchester – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Bradford and $88.0 in Manchester. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Bradford, where all-in costs run around $2,040, than in Manchester at $2,544. In Bradford it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manchester 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 $2,040 in Bradford to $2,544 in Manchester. 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 Bradford. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manchester makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.