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: $2,937 in Brighton versus $2,651 in Manchester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,342 in Brighton versus $3,871 in Manchester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,748 in Brighton versus $5,091 in Manchester.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brighton 119% above, Manchester 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.14 £14.97

$20.74 £15.42

-2.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.7 £71.9

$94.5 £70.2

2.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 £7.18

$10.75 £7.99

-10.14%

Cappuccino

$4.55 £3.38

$4.94 £3.67

-7.89%

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

$2.12 £1.57

$2.59 £1.92

-18.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.70 £1.26

-4.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.59 £6.38

$7.41 £5.51

15.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 £4.96

$7.52 £5.59

-11.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 £1.38

$1.62 £1.21

14.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 £1.55

$1.80 £1.34

16.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 £1.58

$2.16 £1.60

-1.85%

Eggs

$5.06 £3.76

$4.08 £3.03

24.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.97 £8.89

$12.05 £8.95

-0.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 £6.68

$9.75 £7.25

-7.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 £13.31

$17.39 £12.93

2.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 £2.42

$3.30 £2.46

-1.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 £1.50

$1.84 £1.37

9.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 £2.38

$3.82 £2.84

-15.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 £2.50

$4.35 £3.23

-22.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 £1.70

$2.10 £1.56

9.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 £1.52

$1.80 £1.34

13.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 £0.84

$1.31 £0.97

-14.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.47 £1.10

-1.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.41 £15.92

$18.73 £13.92

14.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.17 £8.30

$10.64 £7.91

4.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 £2.08

$2.57 £1.91

8.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 £1.92

$3.49 £2.60

-25.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.32 £2.47

$2.75 £2.04

20.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$129 £95.7

$121 £90.1

6.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 £3.37

$5.49 £4.08

-17.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 £1.63

$2.85 £2.12

-22.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.41 £30.78

$34.28 £25.48

20.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.46

$1.96 £1.46

0.51%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

-0.03%

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

$42.0K £31.2K

$41.8K £31.1K

0.41%

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

$290 £216

$295 £219

-1.70%

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

$18.36 £13.65

$22.44 £16.68

-18.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.81 £30.34

$42.92 £31.90

-4.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 £40.09

$42.39 £31.51

27.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.80 £13.97

$16.07 £11.94

16.99%

Cinema Ticket

$17.52 £13.02

$13.72 £10.19

27.70%

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

$1,783 £1,325

$1,944 £1,445

-8.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K £14.2K

$20.8K £15.5K

-8.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 £68.8

$90.6 £67.4

2.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.92 £31.90

$41.85 £31.11

2.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.5

$89.5 £66.5

21.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 £58.8

$106 £78.9

-25.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,828 £1,359

$1,637 £1,217

11.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 £1,162

$1,256 £934

24.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,247 £2,413

$2,702 £2,009

20.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,608 £1,939

$2,077 £1,544

25.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,819 £6,555

$5,107 £3,796

72.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,240 £4,638

$4,671 £3,472

33.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,476 £2,583

$3,247 £2,414

7.04%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Manchester: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,828 in Brighton and $1,637 in Manchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brighton pays 7% 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: $97.0 in Brighton vs $94.0 in Manchester. Groceries flip the comparison at $335 vs $335, with Brighton 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 ($2,937 vs $2,651 including rent). Manchester is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Brighton pays 7% 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: $1,828 in Brighton versus $1,637 in Manchester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,783 in Brighton versus $1,944 in Manchester. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% 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.