Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnley and Manchester Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnley and Manchester

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,804 in Burnley versus $2,651 in Manchester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,850 in Burnley versus $3,871 in Manchester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,895 in Burnley versus $5,091 in Manchester.

Living in Burnley costs roughly 32% less than in Manchester, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burnley 35% above, Manchester 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.30 £15.12

$20.74 £15.45

-2.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.9 £60.3

$94.5 £70.4

-14.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 £6.44

$10.75 £8.01

-19.53%

Cappuccino

$4.10 £3.05

$4.94 £3.68

-17.00%

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

$2.27 £1.69

$2.59 £1.93

-12.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 £1.20

$1.70 £1.26

-5.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 £2.59

$7.41 £5.52

-53.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 £4.13

$7.52 £5.60

-26.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.62 £1.21

-3.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 £1.24

$1.80 £1.34

-7.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 £1.20

$2.16 £1.61

-25.46%

Eggs

$3.54 £2.64

$4.08 £3.04

-13.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.07 £6.01

$12.05 £8.97

-33.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.32 £6.20

$9.75 £7.26

-14.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.70 £10.21

$17.39 £12.96

-21.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 £1.81

$3.30 £2.46

-26.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 £1.02

$1.84 £1.37

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 £1.24

$3.82 £2.84

-56.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 £2.00

$4.35 £3.24

-38.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 £1.28

$2.10 £1.56

-18.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 £1.19

$1.80 £1.34

-11.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 £0.99

$1.31 £0.97

1.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 £0.88

$1.47 £1.10

-19.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.22 £12.83

$18.73 £13.95

-8.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 £8.17

$10.64 £7.93

3.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 £2.10

$2.57 £1.91

9.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.41

$3.49 £2.60

-45.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.85 £2.12

$2.75 £2.05

3.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 £79.9

$121 £90.3

-11.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 £2.49

$5.49 £4.09

-39.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 £0.83

$2.85 £2.12

-61.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.48 £12.28

$34.28 £25.54

-51.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.96 £1.46

-1.02%

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

$38.1K £28.4K

$37.8K £28.1K

1.00%

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

$40.7K £30.4K

$41.8K £31.1K

-2.51%

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

$275 £205

$295 £220

-6.64%

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

$17.28 £12.88

$22.44 £16.72

-22.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.64 £32.51

$42.92 £31.97

1.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.84 £34.15

$42.39 £31.58

8.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.93 £12.61

$16.07 £11.97

5.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.86 £5.85

$13.72 £10.22

-42.71%

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

$1,565 £1,166

$1,944 £1,448

-19.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,898 £5,139

$20.8K £15.5K

-66.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.9 £59.5

$90.6 £67.5

-11.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.20 £32.18

$41.85 £31.18

3.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 £64.3

$89.5 £66.6

-3.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.5 £54.0

$106 £79.1

-31.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 £572

$1,637 £1,220

-53.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$639 £476

$1,256 £936

-49.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,498 £1,116

$2,702 £2,013

-44.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 £942

$2,077 £1,547

-39.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,107 £3,805

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,671 £3,480

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,187 £2,374

$3,247 £2,419

-1.85%

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 Burnley: June 1, 2026

Last update for Manchester: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $768 in Burnley and $1,637 in Manchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manchester pays 2% 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: $81.0 in Burnley vs $94.0 in Manchester for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $335 per month, with Burnley 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

Burnley vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burnley is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Manchester earns 2% less. 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: $768 in Burnley versus $1,637 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 $81.0 versus $94.0 in Manchester. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,804 per month in Burnley versus $2,651 in Manchester – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,804 in Burnley versus $2,651 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.

For families, Burnley is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Manchester, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Burnley gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.