Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnley and Manchester

For one person, living is cheaper in Burnley: $2,199 a month against $2,510 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Burnley
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Burnley Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index

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Burnley

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,199

/mo nomad

Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,510

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Burnley and in Manchester

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Burnley and in Manchester actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,199 in Burnley versus $2,510 in Manchester.

Burnley $2,199
Manchester $2,510

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,018 in Burnley versus $3,643 in Manchester.

Burnley $3,018
Manchester $3,643

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,838 in Burnley versus $4,776 in Manchester.

Burnley $3,838
Manchester $4,776

Living in Burnley costs roughly 12% less than in Manchester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burnley 63% above, Manchester 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.19 £15.00

$20.16 £14.98

0.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.5 £56.8

$87.5 £65.0

-12.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 £5.88

$10.78 £8.01

-26.53%

Cappuccino

$4.65 £3.46

$4.78 £3.55

-2.72%

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

$2.75 £2.04

$2.62 £1.95

4.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.74 £1.29

-1.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.97 £2.95

$7.92 £5.89

-49.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 £4.56

$6.52 £4.85

-5.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.35 £1.00

18.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 £1.10

$1.88 £1.39

-21.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.92 £1.42

-16.67%

Eggs

$3.56 £2.65

$4.04 £3.01

-11.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 £6.07

$9.58 £7.12

-14.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.14 £6.05

$9.26 £6.88

-12.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.58 £10.09

$15.66 £11.64

-13.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 £1.79

$3.07 £2.28

-21.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.53 £1.14

-10.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 £1.23

$2.91 £2.16

-43.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 £1.95

$3.53 £2.62

-25.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.54 £1.15

9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.38 £1.03

14.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 £0.96

$1.21 £0.90

7.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 £0.84

$1.38 £1.03

-18.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.34 £14.38

$24.21 £17.99

-20.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.85 £8.07

$11.05 £8.21

-1.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 £2.08

$2.49 £1.85

12.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 £2.25

$2.90 £2.15

4.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.99 £2.97

$2.61 £1.94

52.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.4 £68.7

$109 £81.1

-15.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.77 £3.54

$4.47 £3.32

6.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 £1.60

$2.21 £1.64

-2.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.94 £20.02

$30.93 £22.99

-12.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 £1.43

$2.18 £1.62

-11.93%

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

$38.2K £28.4K

$39.2K £29.2K

-2.63%

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

$40.8K £30.3K

$39.9K £29.7K

2.25%

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

$248 £184

$248 £185

-0.24%

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

$17.02 £12.65

$16.31 £12.12

4.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.23 £31.39

$39.73 £29.53

6.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.22 £28.41

$42.93 £31.91

-10.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.09 £12.71

$17.99 £13.37

-5.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 £5.82

$13.46 £10.01

-41.83%

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

$1,917 £1,424

$1,448 £1,077

32.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K £17.1K

$21.0K £15.6K

9.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 £67.2

$83.3 £61.9

8.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.83 £34.80

$43.32 £32.20

8.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 £65.7

$95.4 £70.9

-7.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.3 £65.6

$99.9 £74.2

-11.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 £942

$1,818 £1,351

-30.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 £755

$1,234 £917

-17.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,485 £1,103

$2,925 £2,174

-49.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 £914

$1,921 £1,428

-35.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,264 £3,913

$4,751 £3,531

10.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,644 £2,708

$4,313 £3,206

-15.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,179 £2,362

$3,798 £2,823

-16.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

4.79

4.18%

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

Last update for Burnley: October 31, 2026

Last update for Manchester: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Burnley

$1K 46.2%

Manchester

$1.2K 49.2% 21.4% $218

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Burnley

$307 14%

Manchester

$304 12.1% 0.9% $2.6

Eating Out

Burnley

$291 13.2%

Manchester

$321 12.8% 10.3% $30

Groceries & Markets

Burnley

$266 12.1%

Manchester

$301 12% 13.1% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Burnley

$141 6.4%

Manchester

$145 5.8% 2.6% $3.6

Getting Around

Burnley

$124 5.6%

Manchester

$135 5.4% 9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Burnley

$54 2.5%

Manchester

$70 2.8% 29.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,268 in Burnley and $1,818 in Manchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manchester pays 20% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $76 in Burnley vs $87 in Manchester for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $301 per month, with Burnley cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Burnley

🇬🇧 Manchester

🕒 Local time

19:37 7:37 PM

Same time as Burnley

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,500

503,100

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.35 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.35 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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

Burnley vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burnley is about 12% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Burnley. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,268 in Burnley versus $1,818 in Manchester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Burnley – a meal for two runs $76 versus $87 in Manchester. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,199 per month in Burnley versus $2,510 in Manchester – Burnley is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,199 in Burnley versus $2,510 in Manchester, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Burnley but tight or insufficient in Manchester. The gap between the two cities makes Burnley the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Burnley gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.