Cost of Living Comparison Between Dundee and Manchester Cost of Living Comparison Between Dundee and Manchester

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,967 in Dundee versus $2,651 in Manchester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,970 in Dundee versus $3,871 in Manchester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,974 in Dundee versus $5,091 in Manchester.

Living in Dundee costs roughly 26% less than in Manchester, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dundee 47% above, Manchester 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.56 £15.42

$20.74 £15.55

-0.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 £70.4

$94.5 £70.8

-0.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.24 £7.68

$10.75 £8.06

-4.74%

Cappuccino

$4.58 £3.43

$4.94 £3.70

-7.29%

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

$2.32 £1.74

$2.59 £1.94

-10.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 £0.99

$1.70 £1.27

-22.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 £4.49

$7.41 £5.56

-19.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 £4.35

$7.52 £5.64

-22.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 £1.60

$1.62 £1.22

31.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 £1.16

$1.80 £1.35

-13.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 £1.86

$2.16 £1.62

14.81%

Eggs

$4.88 £3.66

$4.08 £3.06

19.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.31 £6.23

$12.05 £9.03

-31.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 £7.54

$9.75 £7.31

3.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.54 £11.65

$17.39 £13.04

-10.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 £2.39

$3.30 £2.48

-3.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 £1.82

$1.84 £1.38

32.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 £1.97

$3.82 £2.86

-31.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 £3.43

$4.35 £3.26

5.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 £1.59

$2.10 £1.57

0.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 £1.45

$1.80 £1.35

7.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 £0.92

$1.31 £0.98

-6.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 £1.55

$1.47 £1.11

40.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.67 £14.00

$18.73 £14.04

-0.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.87 £8.90

$10.64 £7.98

11.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 £2.44

$2.57 £1.92

26.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 £2.15

$3.49 £2.62

-18.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 £2.61

$2.75 £2.06

26.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.4 £43.77

$121 £90.9

-51.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 £3.64

$5.49 £4.12

-11.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 £1.05

$2.85 £2.14

-50.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.08 £17.31

$34.28 £25.70

-32.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.96 £1.47

-4.59%

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

$39.0K £29.2K

$37.8K £28.3K

3.19%

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

$46.7K £35.0K

$41.8K £31.3K

11.68%

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

$235 £176

$295 £221

-20.49%

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

$14.61 £10.95

$22.44 £16.83

-34.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.93 £35.94

$42.92 £32.18

11.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 £37.04

$42.39 £31.78

16.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.55 £7.16

$16.07 £12.05

-40.57%

Cinema Ticket

$12.82 £9.62

$13.72 £10.28

-6.56%

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

$1,589 £1,192

$1,944 £1,457

-18.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K £12.3K

$20.8K £15.6K

-21.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.1 £72.8

$90.6 £68.0

7.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.5 £48.34

$41.85 £31.38

54.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 £103

$89.5 £67.1

53.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 £91.2

$106 £79.6

14.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$942 £707

$1,637 £1,228

-42.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 £502

$1,256 £942

-46.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,547 £1,160

$2,702 £2,026

-42.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 £842

$2,077 £1,557

-45.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,136 £3,101

$5,107 £3,829

-19.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,363 £2,521

$4,671 £3,502

-28.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,219 £2,413

$3,247 £2,435

-0.87%

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 Dundee: June 1, 2026

Last update for Manchester: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $942 in Dundee and $1,637 in Manchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manchester pays 1% 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: $94.0 in Dundee vs $94.0 in Manchester. Groceries flip the comparison at $338 vs $335, with Manchester cheaper for home cooking.

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

Dundee vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dundee and Manchester differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,967 vs $2,651 including rent). Dundee is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Manchester earns 1% less. 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: $942 in Dundee versus $1,637 in Manchester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dundee runs roughly 108% less than in Manchester. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,589 in Dundee versus $1,944 in Manchester. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,967 in Dundee versus $2,651 in Manchester, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dundee but tight or insufficient in Manchester. The gap between the two cities makes Dundee the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Dundee 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 Dundee gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.