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: $1,949 in Dundee versus $2,708 in Manchester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,023 in Dundee versus $3,934 in Manchester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,097 in Dundee versus $5,161 in Manchester.

Living in Dundee costs roughly 28% less than in Manchester, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dundee 46% above, Manchester 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.74 £15.51

$20.49 £15.32

1.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.7 £71.5

$94.7 £70.8

0.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.06 £7.52

$11.01 £8.23

-8.63%

Cappuccino

$4.32 £3.23

$5.10 £3.81

-15.29%

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

$2.19 £1.64

$2.53 £1.89

-13.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 £0.99

$1.75 £1.31

-24.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 £4.30

$7.58 £5.66

-24.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 £4.31

$7.60 £5.68

-24.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 £1.53

$1.68 £1.26

21.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 £1.12

$1.71 £1.28

-12.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 £1.91

$2.17 £1.62

17.51%

Eggs

$4.89 £3.65

$4.08 £3.05

19.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 £6.31

$12.40 £9.27

-31.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.84 £7.35

$9.72 £7.27

1.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.78 £11.80

$17.02 £12.72

-7.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 £2.44

$3.36 £2.51

-2.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 £1.76

$1.84 £1.38

28.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 £2.04

$3.96 £2.96

-31.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 £3.47

$4.17 £3.12

11.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 £1.56

$2.04 £1.53

2.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 £1.39

$1.83 £1.37

1.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 £0.92

$1.25 £0.94

-0.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 £1.54

$1.42 £1.06

45.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.85 £14.09

$18.99 £14.20

-0.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.07 £9.03

$10.37 £7.75

16.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.44

$2.47 £1.85

32.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 £2.17

$3.54 £2.65

-17.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.58 £2.68

$2.76 £2.06

29.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.2 £44.24

$123 £91.8

-51.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.78 £3.57

$5.56 £4.16

-14.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 £1.04

$2.87 £2.15

-51.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.47 £17.54

$33.37 £24.94

-29.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.46

$1.89 £1.41

3.17%

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

$38.4K £28.7K

$38.7K £28.9K

-0.81%

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

$47.8K £35.7K

$41.6K £31.1K

14.93%

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

$235 £176

$299 £224

-21.47%

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

$14.62 £10.93

$23.27 £17.40

-37.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.89 £35.80

$42.43 £31.72

12.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.56 £36.30

$42.48 £31.76

14.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.47 £7.08

$15.54 £11.62

-39.06%

Cinema Ticket

$13.13 £9.82

$13.80 £10.31

-4.86%

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

$1,636 £1,223

$1,981 £1,481

-17.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K £12.3K

$21.1K £15.8K

-22.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.8 £73.8

$89.8 £67.1

10.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 £48.53

$41.96 £31.37

54.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 £102

$88.5 £66.2

54.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 £91.6

$108 £81.0

13.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$920 £688

$1,619 £1,211

-43.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$683 £511

$1,252 £936

-45.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 £1,151

$2,719 £2,032

-43.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,101 £823

$2,077 £1,553

-47.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,227 £3,160

$4,993 £3,733

-15.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,306 £2,472

$4,595 £3,435

-28.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,195 £2,389

$3,139 £2,347

1.78%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Manchester: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $920 in Dundee and $1,619 in Manchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dundee pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $96.0 in Dundee vs $95.0 in Manchester for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 vs $332 per month, with Manchester 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

Dundee vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dundee and Manchester differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,949 vs $2,708 including rent). Dundee is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Dundee, 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: $920 in Dundee versus $1,619 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 $1,636 in Dundee versus $1,981 in Manchester. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,949 in Dundee versus $2,708 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 39% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.