Cost of Living Comparison Between Brighton and Manchester Cost of Living Comparison Between Brighton and Manchester

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,983 in Brighton versus $2,684 in Manchester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,308 in Brighton versus $3,957 in Manchester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,633 in Brighton versus $5,230 in Manchester.

Living in Brighton is roughly 11% more expensive than in Manchester, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brighton 123% above, Manchester 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.25 £15.06

$20.17 £15.00

0.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.8 £69.8

$96.9 £72.1

-3.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.53 £7.09

$10.78 £8.02

-11.60%

Cappuccino

$4.57 £3.40

$5.10 £3.79

-10.39%

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

$2.12 £1.58

$2.53 £1.88

-16.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.68 £1.25

-2.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.34 £6.20

$7.31 £5.43

14.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 £5.17

$7.67 £5.70

-9.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 £1.33

$1.69 £1.26

5.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 £1.60

$1.71 £1.27

25.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 £1.52

$2.25 £1.68

-9.33%

Eggs

$5.00 £3.72

$4.07 £3.03

22.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.10 £9.00

$12.25 £9.11

-1.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.87 £6.60

$9.42 £7.01

-5.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.05 £13.43

$17.22 £12.81

4.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 £2.40

$3.35 £2.49

-3.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 £1.50

$1.80 £1.34

11.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 £2.37

$4.01 £2.99

-20.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.38 £2.51

$4.14 £3.08

-18.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 £1.68

$2.05 £1.52

10.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 £1.51

$1.80 £1.34

12.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 £0.88

$1.25 £0.93

-5.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 £1.11

$1.49 £1.11

0.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.95 £15.58

$19.21 £14.29

9.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.26 £8.38

$10.00 £7.44

12.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 £2.00

$2.46 £1.83

8.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 £1.98

$3.61 £2.69

-26.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.30 £2.46

$2.65 £1.97

24.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$130 £96.5

$122 £90.5

6.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 £3.44

$5.33 £3.96

-13.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 £1.60

$2.86 £2.12

-24.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.99 £29.75

$33.58 £24.98

19.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 £1.49

$1.89 £1.40

5.82%

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

$38.1K £28.4K

$38.7K £28.8K

-1.50%

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

$41.2K £30.6K

$41.5K £30.9K

-0.84%

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

$286 £213

$302 £225

-5.29%

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

$18.84 £14.01

$22.97 £17.08

-17.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.37 £30.02

$43.39 £32.27

-6.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 £39.60

$40.99 £30.49

29.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 £13.91

$15.62 £11.62

19.72%

Cinema Ticket

$17.38 £12.93

$13.50 £10.04

28.74%

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

$1,776 £1,321

$1,984 £1,476

-10.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K £14.4K

$21.0K £15.6K

-8.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 £68.3

$91.3 £67.9

0.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.18 £31.38

$42.23 £31.41

-0.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 £80.9

$88.1 £65.6

23.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 £58.7

$108 £80.5

-27.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,818 £1,352

$1,638 £1,218

10.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 £1,179

$1,256 £934

26.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,287 £2,445

$2,747 £2,043

19.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,614 £1,944

$2,049 £1,524

27.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,564 £6,370

$4,946 £3,679

73.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,300 £4,686

$4,671 £3,474

34.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,446 £2,563

$3,154 £2,346

9.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

5.92

-4.90%

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

Last update for Brighton: July 12, 2026

Last update for Manchester: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,818 in Brighton and $1,638 in Manchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brighton pays 9% 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: $94.0 in Brighton vs $97.0 in Manchester. Groceries flip the comparison at $335 vs $331, with Manchester cheaper for home cooking.

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

Brighton vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brighton and Manchester differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,983 vs $2,684 including rent). Manchester is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Brighton, 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: $1,818 in Brighton versus $1,638 in Manchester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,776 in Brighton versus $1,984 in Manchester. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Brighton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Brighton 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 Manchester gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Brighton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.