Cost of Living Comparison Between Buckingham and Manchester Cost of Living Comparison Between Buckingham and Manchester

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,281 in Buckingham versus $2,597 in Manchester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,357 in Buckingham versus $3,791 in Manchester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,433 in Buckingham versus $4,985 in Manchester.

Living in Buckingham costs roughly 12% less than in Manchester, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buckingham 66% above, Manchester 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.83 £15.40

$20.25 £14.97

2.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.7 £61.1

$95.3 £70.5

-13.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.00 £8.13

$10.72 £7.92

2.61%

Cappuccino

$4.77 £3.53

$4.86 £3.59

-1.85%

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

$2.12 £1.57

$2.69 £1.99

-21.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 £1.17

$1.76 £1.30

-10.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.80 £4.29

$8.08 £5.98

-28.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 £3.53

$6.97 £5.15

-31.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 £1.11

$1.50 £1.11

0.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.93 £1.43

-3.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 £2.05

$2.01 £1.49

38.31%

Eggs

$4.16 £3.07

$3.84 £2.84

8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 £7.18

$9.26 £6.85

4.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.58 £5.60

$8.80 £6.51

-13.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.80 £12.42

$16.51 £12.20

1.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 £2.47

$3.11 £2.30

7.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.54 £1.14

7.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 £2.16

$3.02 £2.23

-3.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 £2.43

$3.51 £2.59

-6.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 £0.89

$1.50 £1.11

-19.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.33

$1.32 £0.98

36.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 £0.84

$1.30 £0.96

-13.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 £1.03

$1.23 £0.91

13.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.06 £17.78

$24.43 £18.06

-1.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.11 £7.48

$10.96 £8.10

-7.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.28 £2.43

$2.47 £1.83

32.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 £1.58

$3.26 £2.41

-34.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.50 £2.59

$2.66 £1.97

31.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.7 £71.5

$106 £78.7

-9.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.22 £3.12

$4.51 £3.33

-6.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 £2.03

$2.23 £1.65

22.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 £18.41

$30.69 £22.69

-18.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$2.09 £1.55

-7.18%

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

$38.5K £28.5K

$39.8K £29.4K

-3.16%

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

$41.1K £30.4K

$40.8K £30.1K

0.87%

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

$212 £156

$304 £224

-30.26%

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

$17.57 £12.99

$16.90 £12.49

3.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.58 £32.95

$40.38 £29.85

10.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.74 £35.29

$55.1 £40.73

-13.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.59 £13.74

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 £9.94

$13.65 £10.09

-1.54%

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

$1,571 £1,161

$1,287 £951

22.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K £11.7K

$20.5K £15.1K

-22.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 £66.0

$93.8 £69.4

-4.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.09 £28.16

$43.08 £31.84

-11.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 £56.3

$98.4 £72.8

-22.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.8 £71.6

$108 £80.2

-10.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 £1,115

$1,833 £1,355

-17.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 £772

$1,269 £938

-17.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,101 £1,553

$3,134 £2,317

-32.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 £1,252

$2,028 £1,499

-16.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,364 £3,965

$5,007 £3,701

7.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,174 £3,085

$4,739 £3,503

-11.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,710 £3,481

$3,318 £2,453

41.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.06

5.13

-1.36%

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

Last update for Buckingham: September 1, 2026

Last update for Manchester: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Buckingham and $1,833 in Manchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buckingham pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $83.0 in Buckingham vs $95.0 in Manchester. Groceries flip the comparison at $303 vs $301, 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

Buckingham vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buckingham and Manchester differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($2,281 vs $2,597 including rent). Buckingham is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 42% higher in Buckingham, 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: $1,508 in Buckingham versus $1,833 in Manchester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,281 per month in Buckingham versus $2,597 in Manchester – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Buckingham runs roughly 10% less than in Manchester. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Buckingham 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.

Expats usually find Buckingham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.