Cost of Living Comparison Between Bristol and Manchester Cost of Living Comparison Between Bristol and Manchester

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,879 in Bristol versus $2,651 in Manchester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,130 in Bristol versus $3,871 in Manchester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,380 in Bristol versus $5,091 in Manchester.

Living in Bristol is roughly 9% more expensive than Manchester, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bristol 115% above, Manchester 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.34 £15.15

$20.74 £15.45

-1.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 £77.3

$94.5 £70.4

9.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.00

Cappuccino

$5.14 £3.83

$4.94 £3.68

4.05%

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

$2.70 £2.01

$2.59 £1.93

4.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.29

$1.70 £1.26

1.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.94 £5.92

$7.41 £5.52

7.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 £5.07

$7.52 £5.60

-9.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 £1.16

$1.62 £1.21

-3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 £1.75

$1.80 £1.34

30.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 £1.39

$2.16 £1.61

-13.43%

Eggs

$4.18 £3.11

$4.08 £3.04

2.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.30 £9.16

$12.05 £8.97

2.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 £8.46

$9.75 £7.26

16.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.15 £9.05

$17.39 £12.95

-30.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 £2.52

$3.30 £2.46

2.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.84 £1.37

-10.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 £2.03

$3.82 £2.84

-28.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 £2.97

$4.35 £3.24

-8.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 £1.52

$2.10 £1.56

-2.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 £1.32

$1.80 £1.34

-1.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 £0.89

$1.31 £0.97

-8.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 £1.39

$1.47 £1.10

26.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.50 £15.27

$18.73 £13.95

9.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.83 £8.07

$10.64 £7.92

1.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.22

$2.57 £1.91

15.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 £2.01

$3.49 £2.60

-22.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 £2.32

$2.75 £2.05

13.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$115 £85.5

$121 £90.3

-5.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.15

$5.49 £4.09

1.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 £1.26

$2.85 £2.12

-40.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.71 £20.64

$34.28 £25.53

-19.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.96 £1.46

-3.06%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$37.8K £28.1K

1.14%

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

$35.3K £26.3K

$41.8K £31.1K

-15.49%

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

$301 £224

$295 £220

2.09%

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

$16.75 £12.48

$22.44 £16.71

-25.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.52 £33.90

$42.92 £31.96

6.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.81 £37.10

$42.39 £31.57

17.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.12 £7.54

$16.07 £11.97

-37.03%

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 £10.22

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

$2,193 £1,633

$1,944 £1,448

12.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K £18.0K

$20.8K £15.5K

16.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 £71.2

$90.6 £67.5

5.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.61 £36.20

$41.85 £31.17

16.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 £83.5

$89.5 £66.6

25.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 £103

$106 £79.0

30.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,852 £1,379

$1,637 £1,219

13.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 £1,036

$1,256 £936

10.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,094 £2,305

$2,702 £2,013

14.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,285 £1,702

$2,077 £1,547

10.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,918 £5,153

$5,107 £3,804

35.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,209 £3,880

$4,671 £3,479

11.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,777 £2,813

$3,247 £2,418

16.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

5.92

-5.41%

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

Last update for Bristol: May 31, 2026

Last update for Manchester: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,852 in Bristol and $1,637 in Manchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bristol pays 16% 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: $104 in Bristol vs $94.0 in Manchester. Groceries flip the comparison at $330 vs $335, with Bristol 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

Bristol vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bristol and Manchester differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,879 vs $2,651 including rent). Manchester is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bristol pays 16% 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: $1,852 in Bristol versus $1,637 in Manchester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Bristol pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Manchester – a meal for two runs $94.0 versus $104 in Bristol. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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, Bristol 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 9% less than in Bristol. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.