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: $2,791 in Crawley versus $2,651 in Manchester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,131 in Crawley versus $3,871 in Manchester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,472 in Crawley versus $5,091 in Manchester.

Living in Crawley is roughly 5% more expensive than Manchester, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Crawley 108% above, Manchester 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.17 £14.99

$20.74 £15.42

-2.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.5 £59.8

$94.5 £70.2

-14.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.86 £6.59

$10.75 £7.99

-17.58%

Cappuccino

$4.68 £3.48

$4.94 £3.67

-5.26%

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

$2.26 £1.68

$2.59 £1.92

-12.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.70 £1.26

-19.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 £4.39

$7.41 £5.51

-20.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 £4.65

$7.52 £5.59

-16.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.62 £1.21

-15.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 £1.10

$1.80 £1.34

-17.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 £2.04

$2.16 £1.60

26.85%

Eggs

$3.19 £2.37

$4.08 £3.03

-21.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.06 £5.25

$12.05 £8.95

-41.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.49 £5.57

$9.75 £7.25

-23.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.33 £11.39

$17.39 £12.93

-11.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 £2.96

$3.30 £2.46

20.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 £1.66

$1.84 £1.37

21.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 £2.21

$3.82 £2.84

-22.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 £3.60

$4.35 £3.23

11.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 £0.95

$2.10 £1.56

-39.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.80 £1.34

-4.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 £0.42

$1.31 £0.97

-57.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.47 £1.10

11.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.59 £12.33

$18.73 £13.92

-11.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.62 £7.15

$10.64 £7.91

-9.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 £1.71

$2.57 £1.91

-10.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.36

$3.49 £2.60

-47.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.59 £2.67

$2.75 £2.04

30.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$132 £98.3

$121 £90.1

9.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 £3.41

$5.49 £4.08

-16.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 £1.29

$2.85 £2.12

-38.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.00 £11.89

$34.28 £25.48

-53.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.46

$1.96 £1.46

0.51%

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

$38.6K £28.7K

$37.8K £28.1K

2.16%

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

$40.5K £30.1K

$41.8K £31.1K

-3.15%

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

$462 £343

$295 £219

56.49%

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

$15.70 £11.67

$22.44 £16.68

-30.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.74 £31.02

$42.92 £31.90

-2.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 £41.12

$42.39 £31.51

30.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 £7.14

$16.07 £11.94

-40.20%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 £8.18

$13.72 £10.19

-19.75%

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

$1,325 £985

$1,944 £1,445

-31.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,087 £6,011

$20.8K £15.5K

-61.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.7 £51.1

$90.6 £67.4

-24.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.11 £30.56

$41.85 £31.11

-1.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.9 £55.0

$89.5 £66.5

-17.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 £103

$106 £78.9

29.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 £1,228

$1,637 £1,217

0.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 £977

$1,256 £934

4.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 £2,035

$2,702 £2,009

1.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 £1,854

$2,077 £1,544

20.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,440 £4,787

$5,107 £3,796

26.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,056 £4,502

$4,671 £3,472

29.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,312 £2,462

$3,247 £2,414

2.01%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Manchester: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Crawley and $1,637 in Manchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Crawley 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: $80.0 in Crawley vs $94.0 in Manchester for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $335 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 5% 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.

Crawley pays 2% more on average, 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: $1,653 in Crawley 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 Manchester – a meal for two runs $94.0 versus $80.0 in Crawley. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,791 per month in Crawley versus $2,651 in Manchester – a 5% 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 $2,651 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 5% less than in Crawley. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.