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: $2,798 in Crawley versus $2,684 in Manchester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Crawley versus $3,957 in Manchester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,425 in Crawley versus $5,230 in Manchester.

Living in Crawley is roughly 4% more expensive than in Manchester, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Crawley 109% above, Manchester 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.46 £15.22

$20.17 £15.00

1.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.5 £59.9

$96.9 £72.1

-16.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.07 £6.74

$10.78 £8.02

-15.86%

Cappuccino

$4.58 £3.41

$5.10 £3.79

-10.20%

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

$2.18 £1.62

$2.53 £1.88

-13.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 £1.03

$1.68 £1.25

-17.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 £4.40

$7.31 £5.43

-19.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 £4.56

$7.67 £5.70

-20.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 £1.00

$1.69 £1.26

-20.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 £1.16

$1.71 £1.27

-8.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 £2.08

$2.25 £1.68

24.44%

Eggs

$3.17 £2.36

$4.07 £3.03

-22.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.74 £5.02

$12.25 £9.11

-44.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.24 £5.39

$9.42 £7.01

-23.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.54 £11.56

$17.22 £12.81

-9.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 £3.04

$3.35 £2.49

22.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 £1.65

$1.80 £1.34

23.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 £2.17

$4.01 £2.99

-27.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 £3.57

$4.14 £3.08

15.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 £0.91

$2.05 £1.52

-40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 £1.24

$1.80 £1.34

-7.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 £0.41

$1.25 £0.93

-56.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.49 £1.11

11.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.12 £11.99

$19.21 £14.29

-16.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.55 £7.10

$10.00 £7.44

-4.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 £1.69

$2.46 £1.83

-7.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 £1.41

$3.61 £2.69

-47.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.63 £2.70

$2.65 £1.97

36.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$129 £95.6

$122 £90.5

5.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.67 £3.47

$5.33 £3.96

-12.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 £1.25

$2.86 £2.12

-41.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.55 £12.31

$33.58 £24.98

-50.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.89 £1.40

2.65%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$38.7K £28.8K

-2.27%

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

$40.6K £30.2K

$41.5K £30.9K

-2.13%

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

$458 £341

$302 £225

51.60%

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

$15.60 £11.60

$22.97 £17.08

-32.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.82 £31.11

$43.39 £32.27

-3.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 £41.66

$40.99 £30.49

36.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.25 £6.88

$15.62 £11.62

-40.78%

Cinema Ticket

$10.98 £8.17

$13.50 £10.04

-18.67%

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

$1,316 £979

$1,984 £1,476

-33.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,273 £6,153

$21.0K £15.6K

-60.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.2 £49.97

$91.3 £67.9

-26.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.12 £29.84

$42.23 £31.41

-5.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.4 £55.3

$88.1 £65.6

-15.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 £99.3

$108 £80.5

23.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 £1,201

$1,638 £1,218

-1.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,282 £953

$1,256 £934

2.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,695 £2,005

$2,747 £2,043

-1.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,442 £1,816

$2,049 £1,524

19.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,406 £4,765

$4,946 £3,679

29.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,888 £4,380

$4,671 £3,474

26.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,257 £2,423

$3,154 £2,346

3.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.92

-0.34%

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

Last update for Crawley: July 14, 2026

Last update for Manchester: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,615 in Crawley and $1,638 in Manchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Crawley pays 3% 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: $80.0 in Crawley vs $97.0 in Manchester for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $331 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 4% 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.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Crawley, 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: $1,615 in Crawley 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 Manchester – a meal for two runs $97.0 versus $80.0 in Crawley. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,798 per month in Crawley versus $2,684 in Manchester – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,684 in Manchester versus $2,798 in Crawley, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Manchester but tight or insufficient in Crawley. The gap between the two cities makes Manchester the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Manchester delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,684 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 4% less than in Crawley. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.