Cost of Living Comparison Between Cardiff and Manchester Cost of Living Comparison Between Cardiff and Manchester

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,355 in Cardiff versus $2,684 in Manchester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,357 in Cardiff versus $3,957 in Manchester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,359 in Cardiff versus $5,230 in Manchester.

Living in Cardiff costs roughly 12% less than in Manchester, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cardiff 76% above, Manchester 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.04 £14.90

$20.17 £14.99

-0.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.4 £65.7

$96.9 £72.0

-8.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 £8.10

$10.78 £8.01

1.11%

Cappuccino

$4.85 £3.60

$5.10 £3.79

-4.90%

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

$2.54 £1.89

$2.53 £1.88

0.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.68 £1.25

2.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.82 £5.07

$7.31 £5.43

-6.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 £4.62

$7.67 £5.70

-18.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.69 £1.26

13.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 £1.30

$1.71 £1.27

2.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 £2.25

$2.25 £1.68

34.67%

Eggs

$4.63 £3.44

$4.07 £3.03

13.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 £7.53

$12.25 £9.10

-17.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.95 £6.66

$9.42 £7.01

-4.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.23 £6.86

$17.22 £12.80

-46.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 £2.09

$3.35 £2.49

-16.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.80 £1.34

-8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 £2.41

$4.01 £2.98

-18.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.75 £4.27

$4.14 £3.08

38.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 £1.30

$2.05 £1.52

-14.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 £1.10

$1.80 £1.34

-17.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 £0.88

$1.25 £0.93

-5.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.49 £1.11

16.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.49 £14.49

$19.21 £14.28

1.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.10 £8.25

$10.00 £7.44

11.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 £2.37

$2.46 £1.83

29.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 £2.59

$3.61 £2.69

-3.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 £2.35

$2.65 £1.97

18.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.9 £58.7

$122 £90.4

-35.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 £2.99

$5.33 £3.96

-24.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 £1.92

$2.86 £2.12

-9.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.49 £15.23

$33.58 £24.97

-38.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.89 £1.40

1.06%

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

$38.8K £28.8K

$38.7K £28.8K

0.18%

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

$54.4K £40.5K

$41.5K £30.9K

31.14%

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

$292 £217

$302 £225

-3.43%

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

$20.13 £14.96

$22.97 £17.08

-12.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.95 £31.93

$43.39 £32.25

-1.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.58 £29.42

$40.99 £30.47

-3.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.55 £6.36

$15.62 £11.61

-45.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.87 £5.85

$13.50 £10.03

-41.70%

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

$1,991 £1,480

$1,984 £1,475

0.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K £25.2K

$21.0K £15.6K

61.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.3 £51.5

$91.3 £67.8

-24.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 £27.37

$42.23 £31.39

-12.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.4 £55.3

$88.1 £65.5

-15.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.2 £49.93

$108 £80.4

-37.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 £975

$1,638 £1,218

-19.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 £835

$1,256 £934

-10.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,558 £1,902

$2,747 £2,042

-6.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,660 £1,234

$2,049 £1,523

-19.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,509 £4,095

$4,946 £3,677

11.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,517 £2,614

$4,671 £3,473

-24.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,316 £2,465

$3,154 £2,345

5.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

1.35%

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

Last update for Cardiff: July 13, 2026

Last update for Manchester: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,311 in Cardiff and $1,638 in Manchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cardiff pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88.0 in Cardiff vs $97.0 in Manchester for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $331 per month, with Cardiff 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

Cardiff vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cardiff and Manchester differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($2,355 vs $2,684 including rent). Cardiff is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Cardiff, 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: $1,311 in Cardiff versus $1,638 in Manchester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cardiff – a meal for two runs $88.0 versus $97.0 in Manchester. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,355 per month in Cardiff versus $2,684 in Manchester – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,355 in Cardiff versus $2,684 in Manchester, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Cardiff but tight or insufficient in Manchester. The gap between the two cities makes Cardiff 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.

Safety-wise, Cardiff 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 Cardiff 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.