Cost of Living Comparison Between Crawley and Manchester Cost of Living Comparison Between Crawley and Manchester

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,031 in Crawley versus $2,637 in Manchester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,252 in Crawley versus $3,830 in Manchester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,474 in Crawley versus $5,024 in Manchester.

Living in Crawley is roughly 15% more expensive than in Manchester, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Crawley 120% above, Manchester 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.19 £14.94

$20.56 £15.22

-1.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 £50.4

$94.0 £69.6

-27.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.33 £7.65

$11.03 £8.17

-6.35%

Cappuccino

$4.97 £3.68

$4.82 £3.57

3.11%

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

$2.42 £1.79

$2.53 £1.87

-4.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 £1.52

$1.73 £1.28

19.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 £4.53

$8.18 £6.06

-25.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 £4.60

$6.84 £5.06

-9.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 £1.07

$1.45 £1.08

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 £0.95

$1.84 £1.36

-29.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 £0.73

$1.93 £1.43

-48.70%

Eggs

$3.40 £2.51

$3.99 £2.96

-14.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.42 £8.46

$9.53 £7.05

19.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.32 £6.16

$8.96 £6.63

-7.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.63 £10.09

$15.76 £11.67

-13.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 £2.46

$3.21 £2.38

3.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 £1.46

$1.61 £1.20

22.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 £2.17

$3.01 £2.23

-2.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 £1.47

$3.42 £2.53

-42.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 £1.20

$1.50 £1.11

8.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 £1.01

$1.33 £0.99

3.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 £0.88

$1.29 £0.95

-7.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.30 £0.96

17.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.43 £17.34

$24.36 £18.03

-3.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.46 £7.00

$10.88 £8.05

-13.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 £1.54

$2.46 £1.82

-15.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 £1.64

$3.08 £2.28

-28.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.11 £3.04

$2.68 £1.99

53.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$157 £117

$109 £80.5

44.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 £3.93

$4.64 £3.43

14.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 £1.15

$2.16 £1.60

-28.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.54 £15.21

$30.39 £22.49

-32.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$2.09 £1.55

-6.70%

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

$38.8K £28.7K

$39.5K £29.2K

-1.72%

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

$37.1K £27.5K

$41.6K £30.8K

-10.84%

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

$528 £391

$292 £216

80.59%

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

$15.34 £11.35

$16.65 £12.32

-7.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.17 £32.69

$39.66 £29.36

11.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.8 £43.55

$54.3 £40.21

8.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.86 £13.96

Cinema Ticket

$10.71 £7.93

$13.54 £10.02

-20.90%

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

$1,879 £1,391

$1,309 £969

43.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,258 £6,113

$20.0K £14.8K

-58.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.1 £68.9

$88.1 £65.2

5.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.29 £29.82

$41.59 £30.79

-3.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £75.7

$95.3 £70.6

7.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 £92.3

$107 £78.9

17.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,724 £1,276

$1,816 £1,344

-5.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 £1,041

$1,295 £958

8.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,797 £2,070

$3,067 £2,270

-8.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,465 £1,825

$2,020 £1,495

22.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,441 £4,768

$4,729 £3,500

36.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,034 £4,467

$4,465 £3,305

35.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,372 £2,496

$3,446 £2,551

-2.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.64

4.87

15.81%

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

Last update for Crawley: September 7, 2026

Last update for Manchester: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,724 in Crawley and $1,816 in Manchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manchester pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Crawley vs $94.0 in Manchester for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $300 per month, with Crawley 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

Crawley vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manchester wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Crawley. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Manchester the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 2% 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: $1,724 in Crawley versus $1,816 in Manchester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Manchester – a meal for two runs $94.0 versus $68.0 in Crawley. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,031 per month in Crawley versus $2,637 in Manchester – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Manchester is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Manchester delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,637 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Manchester hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Crawley 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 Manchester gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Crawley. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.