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: $2,489 in Cardiff versus $2,597 in Manchester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,431 in Cardiff versus $3,791 in Manchester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,374 in Cardiff versus $4,985 in Manchester.

Living in Cardiff costs roughly 4% less than in Manchester, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cardiff 81% above, Manchester 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.47 £15.18

$20.25 £15.02

1.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.4 £64.8

$95.3 £70.7

-8.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 £8.20

$10.72 £7.95

3.08%

Cappuccino

$4.72 £3.50

$4.86 £3.61

-2.88%

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

$3.19 £2.37

$2.69 £2.00

18.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 £1.52

$1.76 £1.30

17.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 £5.84

$8.08 £6.00

-2.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 £4.42

$6.97 £5.17

-14.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 £1.33

$1.50 £1.12

19.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 £1.13

$1.93 £1.43

-21.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 £1.63

$2.01 £1.49

9.45%

Eggs

$3.76 £2.79

$3.84 £2.85

-2.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 £7.25

$9.26 £6.87

5.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.62 £6.40

$8.80 £6.53

-2.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 £10.63

$16.51 £12.24

-13.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 £2.11

$3.11 £2.30

-8.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.54 £1.14

3.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 £2.28

$3.02 £2.24

1.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 £2.40

$3.51 £2.60

-7.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.50 £1.12

29.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 £1.13

$1.32 £0.98

15.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 £0.83

$1.30 £0.96

-13.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 £1.07

$1.23 £0.91

17.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.77 £16.89

$24.43 £18.12

-6.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.40 £8.46

$10.96 £8.13

4.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 £2.30

$2.47 £1.83

25.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.39

$3.26 £2.42

-1.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.25 £2.41

$2.66 £1.97

22.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.3 £60.3

$106 £78.9

-23.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.71 £3.49

$4.51 £3.34

4.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 £1.26

$2.23 £1.65

-23.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.79 £27.29

$30.69 £22.76

19.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 £1.56

$2.09 £1.55

0.96%

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

$39.1K £29.0K

$39.8K £29.5K

-1.81%

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

$40.8K £30.2K

-0.00%

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

$314 £233

$304 £225

3.56%

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

$26.23 £19.46

$16.90 £12.53

55.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.23 £34.29

$40.38 £29.95

14.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.85 £25.11

$55.1 £40.87

-38.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.04 £8.93

$18.59 £13.79

-35.23%

Cinema Ticket

$10.70 £7.94

$13.65 £10.12

-21.61%

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

$2,028 £1,504

$1,287 £955

57.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.0K £24.5K

$20.5K £15.2K

61.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.3 £72.9

$93.8 £69.6

4.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.02 £36.36

$43.08 £31.95

13.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 £86.9

$98.4 £73.0

19.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.6 £73.9

$108 £80.4

-8.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 £910

$1,833 £1,360

-33.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 £821

$1,269 £942

-12.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 £1,634

$3,134 £2,325

-29.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,547 £1,147

$2,028 £1,505

-23.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,566 £4,128

$5,007 £3,713

11.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,550 £2,633

$4,739 £3,515

-25.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,282 £2,434

$3,318 £2,461

-1.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.11

5.13

-0.39%

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

Last update for Cardiff: August 31, 2026

Last update for Manchester: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,227 in Cardiff and $1,833 in Manchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manchester pays 1% 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: $87.0 in Cardiff vs $95.0 in Manchester for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $301 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 4% in total monthly costs ($2,489 vs $2,597 including rent). Cardiff is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Manchester. 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: $1,227 in Cardiff versus $1,833 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 $87.0 versus $95.0 in Manchester. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,489 per month in Cardiff versus $2,597 in Manchester – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,489 in Cardiff versus $2,597 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 4% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.