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: $2,876 in Bristol versus $2,684 in Manchester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,205 in Bristol versus $3,957 in Manchester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,533 in Bristol versus $5,230 in Manchester.

Living in Bristol is roughly 7% more expensive than in Manchester, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bristol 115% above, Manchester 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.61 £15.35

$20.17 £15.01

2.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 £76.0

$96.9 £72.1

5.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.01

$10.78 £8.02

-0.28%

Cappuccino

$5.11 £3.80

$5.10 £3.80

0.20%

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

$2.80 £2.08

$2.53 £1.88

10.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 £1.33

$1.68 £1.25

6.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 £5.83

$7.31 £5.44

7.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.61 £4.92

$7.67 £5.71

-13.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 £1.22

$1.69 £1.26

-3.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 £1.72

$1.71 £1.27

35.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 £1.43

$2.25 £1.68

-15.11%

Eggs

$4.20 £3.13

$4.07 £3.03

3.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.40 £9.23

$12.25 £9.12

1.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.60 £8.64

$9.42 £7.02

23.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.31 £9.17

$17.22 £12.82

-28.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 £2.63

$3.35 £2.50

5.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.80 £1.34

-8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 £2.04

$4.01 £2.99

-31.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 £3.03

$4.14 £3.08

-1.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 £1.49

$2.05 £1.52

-2.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.80 £1.34

-1.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 £0.92

$1.25 £0.93

-0.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.37

$1.49 £1.11

23.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.20 £15.78

$19.21 £14.30

10.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.72 £7.98

$10.00 £7.45

7.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 £2.18

$2.46 £1.83

19.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 £2.04

$3.61 £2.69

-24.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.20 £2.39

$2.65 £1.97

20.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$115 £85.8

$122 £90.6

-5.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 £4.02

$5.33 £3.97

1.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 £1.20

$2.86 £2.13

-43.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.72 £19.90

$33.58 £25.00

-20.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.89 £1.40

4.23%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$38.7K £28.8K

-1.19%

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

$35.7K £26.6K

$41.5K £30.9K

-13.90%

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

$302 £225

-0.11%

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

$16.41 £12.22

$22.97 £17.10

-28.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.65 £33.24

$43.39 £32.30

2.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.26 £36.68

$40.99 £30.52

20.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.45 £7.78

$15.62 £11.63

-33.10%

Cinema Ticket

$13.68 £10.19

$13.50 £10.05

1.33%

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

$2,182 £1,625

$1,984 £1,477

10.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.9K £18.5K

$21.0K £15.6K

18.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.3 £71.7

$91.3 £67.9

5.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.54 £36.88

$42.23 £31.44

17.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 £85.1

$88.1 £65.6

29.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 £101

$108 £80.6

25.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,886 £1,404

$1,638 £1,220

15.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 £1,054

$1,256 £935

12.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,039 £2,263

$2,747 £2,045

10.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,277 £1,695

$2,049 £1,526

11.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,835 £5,089

$4,946 £3,682

38.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,308 £3,952

$4,671 £3,478

13.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,857 £2,872

$3,154 £2,348

22.29%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Manchester: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,886 in Bristol and $1,638 in Manchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bristol pays 22% 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: $102 in Bristol vs $97.0 in Manchester for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $331 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

Bristol vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bristol and Manchester differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,876 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 22% higher in Bristol, 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: $1,886 in Bristol versus $1,638 in Manchester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Manchester – a meal for two runs $97.0 versus $102 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 7% less than in Bristol. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.