Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Crewe and Manchester

For one person, living is cheaper in Crewe: $2,219 a month against $2,532 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Manchester outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Crewe
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,219
/mo nomad
Manchester
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,532
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Crewe and in Manchester

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Crewe and in Manchester actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,219 per month in Crewe vs $2,532 in Manchester, rent included.

  • Crewe $2,219
  • Manchester $2,532

A couple spends around $3,421 per month in Crewe vs $3,686 in Manchester, rent included.

  • Crewe $3,421
  • Manchester $3,686

A family of three spends $4,623 per month in Crewe vs $4,839 in Manchester, rent included.

  • Crewe $4,623
  • Manchester $4,839

Crewe is about 12% cheaper than Manchester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Crewe and Manchester sit above the global median – Crewe by 64%, Manchester by 87%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Crewe
Manchester
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.92 £20.20
$20.23 £15.18
33.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$93.3 £70.0
$87.1 £65.3
7.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.35 £7.76
$10.83 £8.12
-4.43%
Cappuccino
$4.93 £3.70
$4.81 £3.61
2.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 £1.58
$2.44 £1.83
-13.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40 £1.05
$1.62 £1.21
-13.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.62 £4.97
$7.82 £5.87
-15.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.54 £4.15
$6.48 £4.86
-14.51%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Crewe
Manchester
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 £1.15
$1.45 £1.09
5.52%
White Bread (500g)
$1.18 £0.89
$1.95 £1.47
-39.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.35 £1.77
$1.86 £1.40
26.34%
Eggs
$3.61 £2.71
$4.05 £3.04
-10.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.79 £5.85
$9.76 £7.32
-20.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.38 £6.29
$9.11 £6.83
-8.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.98 £12.74
$15.52 £11.64
9.41%
Apples (1kg)
$2.64 £1.98
$3.20 £2.40
-17.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.36 £1.02
$1.52 £1.14
-10.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.57 £1.93
$3.02 £2.26
-14.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.84 £2.13
$3.34 £2.51
-14.97%
Potato (1kg)
$1.55 £1.16
$1.55 £1.17
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.61 £1.21
$1.30 £0.98
23.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.03 £0.78
$1.22 £0.92
-15.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 £1.22
$1.28 £0.96
27.34%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.91 £17.93
$23.68 £17.77
0.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.47 £7.85
$10.88 £8.16
-3.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.00 £2.25
$2.55 £1.91
17.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.96 £2.97
$3.15 £2.36
25.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Crewe
Manchester
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.04 £3.03
$2.68 £2.01
50.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$59.8 £44.84
$105 £79.1
-43.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.21 £3.91
$4.42 £3.31
17.87%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.89 £2.92
$2.20 £1.65
76.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.17 £18.13
$30.45 £22.85
-20.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.98 £1.49
$2.04 £1.53
-2.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.8K £28.3K
$39.2K £29.4K
-3.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.8K £29.8K
$40.3K £30.2K
-1.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Crewe
Manchester
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$453 £340
$252 £189
79.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.72 £11.79
$16.62 £12.47
-5.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.20 £36.16
$40.61 £30.47
18.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Crewe
Manchester
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 £39.15
$55.1 £41.32
-5.25%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.02 £13.52
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.07 £11.31
$13.26 £9.95
13.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Crewe
Manchester
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,177 £883
$1,252 £939
-5.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.0K £15.0K
$19.9K £14.9K
0.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Crewe
Manchester
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$107 £80.2
$84.2 £63.2
27.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.85 £25.40
$42.72 £32.05
-20.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.1 £61.6
$92.2 £69.2
-10.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.1 £72.8
$106 £79.8
-8.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Crewe
Manchester
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$828 £621
$1,789 £1,342
-53.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$724 £543
$1,242 £932
-41.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,767 £1,326
$3,014 £2,261
-41.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,519 £1,139
$1,961 £1,471
-22.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,298 £2,474
$4,552 £3,415
-27.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,360 £2,521
$4,349 £3,262
-22.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Crewe
Manchester
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,977 £2,234
$3,460 £2,596
-13.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.55
4.82
15.15%

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

Last update for Crewe: October 19, 2026

Last update for Manchester: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Crewe
$724
Manchester
$1.2K 71.6% $518
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Crewe
$517
Manchester
$309 40.2% $208
Eating Out
Crewe
$364
Manchester
$320 11.9% $43
Groceries & Markets
Crewe
$288
Manchester
$301 4.4% $13
Clothing & Footwear
Crewe
$144
Manchester
$146 1.7% $2.5
Getting Around
Crewe
$101
Manchester
$132 30.8% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Crewe
$82
Manchester
$82 0.9% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $828 in Crewe versus $1,789 in Manchester. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 16% higher in Manchester, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $93.0 in Crewe versus $87.0 in Manchester. Groceries tell a different story – $288 in Crewe vs $301 in Manchester – so Crewe wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Crewe
🇬🇧 Manchester
🕒 Local time
17:22 5:22 PM
17:22 5:22 PM
Same time as Crewe
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
75,556
503,100
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Crewe Manchester 44 km
From you
  • Crewe
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Crewe vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Crewe or Manchester?
Manchester costs about 14% more than Crewe, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Crewe and in Manchester?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,329 per month in Crewe and $3,798 in Manchester. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Crewe or Manchester?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Crewe, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Crewe and in Manchester?
Kindergarten costs $1,177 per month in Crewe and $1,252 in Manchester. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Crewe or in Manchester?
Groceries cost about 4% more in Manchester, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Crewe or in Manchester?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Crewe, where all-in costs run around $2,219, than in Manchester at $2,532. In Crewe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manchester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Crewe or Manchester?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Crewe costs $2,219 versus $2,532 in Manchester. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Crewe compared to Manchester?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Crewe or to Manchester?
If budget matters most, go with Crewe. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manchester makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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