Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Derby and Manchester

For one person, living is cheaper in Derby: $2,255 a month against $2,499 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Manchester outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Derby, United Kingdom
Manchester, United Kingdom
Derby
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,255
/mo nomad
Manchester
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,499
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Derby 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 Derby and in Manchester actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,255 per month in Derby vs $2,499 in Manchester, rent included.

  • Derby $2,255
  • Manchester $2,499

A couple spends around $3,377 per month in Derby vs $3,623 in Manchester, rent included.

  • Derby $3,377
  • Manchester $3,623

A family of three spends $4,499 per month in Derby vs $4,747 in Manchester, rent included.

  • Derby $4,499
  • Manchester $4,747

Derby is about 10% cheaper than Manchester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Derby and Manchester sit above the global median – Derby by 66%, Manchester by 84%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Derby
Manchester
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.57 £19.85
$20.22 £15.11
31.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$95.0 £71.0
$86.0 £64.3
10.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.72 £8.01
$10.74 £8.02
-0.19%
Cappuccino
$4.97 £3.71
$4.68 £3.50
6.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 £1.88
$2.44 £1.82
3.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 £1.46
$1.62 £1.21
20.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.82 £5.09
$7.78 £5.81
-12.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.10 £5.31
$6.70 £5.01
5.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Derby
Manchester
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 £1.17
$1.51 £1.12
3.97%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 £1.07
$1.88 £1.41
-23.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.34 £1.75
$1.94 £1.45
20.62%
Eggs
$3.96 £2.96
$4.08 £3.04
-2.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.42 £6.29
$9.61 £7.18
-12.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.58 £6.41
$8.98 £6.71
-4.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.38 £17.47
$15.41 £11.51
51.72%
Apples (1kg)
$5.42 £4.05
$3.09 £2.31
75.40%
Banana (1kg)
$2.80 £2.09
$1.58 £1.18
77.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.96 £2.21
$2.95 £2.20
0.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.74 £2.79
$3.35 £2.50
11.64%
Potato (1kg)
$1.55 £1.15
$1.51 £1.13
2.65%
Onion (1kg)
$1.54 £1.15
$1.35 £1.01
14.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.05 £0.78
$1.26 £0.94
-16.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 £1.02
$1.23 £0.92
11.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.73 £17.73
$24.05 £17.96
-1.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.62 £7.94
$10.88 £8.13
-2.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.28 £2.45
$2.43 £1.81
34.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61 £2.70
$3.17 £2.37
13.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Derby
Manchester
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.01 £3.00
$2.73 £2.04
46.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$115 £86.2
$108 £80.6
6.87%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.34 £3.24
$4.52 £3.37
-3.98%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.62 £1.21
$2.22 £1.66
-27.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$31.95 £23.87
$30.82 £23.03
3.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.98 £1.48
$2.14 £1.60
-7.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.6K
$38.5K £28.7K
-0.56%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.9K £29.8K
$40.0K £29.9K
-0.44%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Derby
Manchester
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$366 £273
$252 £189
44.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.97 £14.92
$16.23 £12.12
23.04%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.71 £29.67
$39.58 £29.57
0.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Derby
Manchester
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.95 £27.61
$42.67 £31.88
-13.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.60 £19.13
$18.05 £13.49
41.83%
Cinema Ticket
$15.22 £11.37
$13.44 £10.04
13.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Derby
Manchester
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,912 £1,429
$1,494 £1,116
27.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.3K £15.2K
$19.7K £14.7K
3.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Derby
Manchester
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$114 £85.4
$83.5 £62.4
36.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 £43.30
$42.97 £32.10
34.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.2 £65.1
$95.0 £71.0
-8.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.1 £73.3
$106 £79.1
-7.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Derby
Manchester
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$947 £708
$1,785 £1,334
-46.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$746 £558
$1,222 £913
-38.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,532 £1,145
$2,930 £2,189
-47.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,206 £901
$1,899 £1,419
-36.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,201 £3,138
$4,668 £3,487
-10.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,055 £2,283
$4,397 £3,285
-30.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Derby
Manchester
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,541 £2,645
$3,395 £2,536
4.31%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.88
4.82
1.24%

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

Last update for Derby: October 25, 2026

Last update for Manchester: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Derby
$746
Manchester
$1.2K 63.8% $476
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Derby
$425
Manchester
$308 27.5% $117
Eating Out
Derby
$371
Manchester
$319 14% $52
Groceries & Markets
Derby
$341
Manchester
$299 12.4% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Derby
$161
Manchester
$147 8.4% $14
Getting Around
Derby
$144
Manchester
$134 6.5% $9.4
Sport & Entertainment
Derby
$67
Manchester
$70 3.2% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Derby versus $1,785 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 4% higher in Derby, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95 in Derby versus $86 in Manchester. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $341 vs $299 – making Manchester the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Derby
🇬🇧 Manchester
🕒 Local time
08:26 8:26 AM
08:26 8:26 AM
Same time as Derby
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
233,700
503,100
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Derby Manchester 80 km
From you
  • Derby
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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
Derby vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Derby or Manchester?
Manchester costs about 11% more than Derby, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. 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 Derby and in Manchester?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,383 per month in Derby and $3,749 in Manchester. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Derby or Manchester?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Derby, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $947 there versus $1,785 in Manchester.
How do childcare costs compare in Derby and in Manchester?
Kindergarten costs $1,912 per month in Derby and $1,494 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 Derby or in Manchester?
Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Manchester – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Derby or in Manchester?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,255 in Derby and $2,499 in Manchester. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Derby or Manchester?
It depends on your priorities. Manchester has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,255 in Derby to $2,499 in Manchester. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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