Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham and Manchester Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham and Manchester

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,033 in Durham versus $2,631 in Manchester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,006 in Durham versus $3,842 in Manchester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,980 in Durham versus $5,053 in Manchester.

Living in Durham costs roughly 23% less than in Manchester, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Durham 52% above, Manchester 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.92 £14.00

$20.34 £15.05

-6.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.8 £71.6

$95.0 £70.3

1.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 £7.41

$10.92 £8.08

-8.24%

Cappuccino

$4.37 £3.24

$4.98 £3.68

-12.25%

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

$2.50 £1.85

$2.62 £1.94

-4.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 £1.43

$1.75 £1.30

10.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 £4.50

$7.38 £5.46

-17.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 £3.97

$7.40 £5.48

-27.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 £1.32

$1.64 £1.21

9.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 £1.20

$1.70 £1.26

-4.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 £1.86

$2.18 £1.61

15.14%

Eggs

$4.00 £2.96

$3.94 £2.92

1.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 £6.85

$12.35 £9.14

-25.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.21 £6.08

$9.85 £7.29

-16.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.59 £7.09

$17.45 £12.91

-45.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 £2.71

$3.20 £2.37

14.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 £1.69

$1.79 £1.32

27.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 £2.39

$3.95 £2.93

-18.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 £2.53

$4.28 £3.17

-20.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 £0.85

$2.03 £1.50

-43.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.16

$1.87 £1.38

-16.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 £0.77

$1.26 £0.93

-17.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 £1.35

$1.49 £1.10

22.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.65 £16.76

$18.70 £13.84

21.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 £8.17

$10.54 £7.80

4.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 £2.29

$2.44 £1.81

26.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.20

$3.46 £2.56

-13.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.18 £2.35

$2.70 £2.00

17.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.8 £41.28

$121 £89.2

-53.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.82 £3.57

$5.40 £4.00

-10.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 £1.16

$2.97 £2.20

-47.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.48 £17.38

$33.45 £24.75

-29.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.43

$1.90 £1.40

1.58%

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

$37.1K £27.5K

$38.2K £28.3K

-2.79%

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

$39.8K £29.5K

$40.5K £29.9K

-1.50%

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

$276 £204

$296 £219

-6.81%

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

$15.57 £11.52

$22.50 £16.65

-30.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.37 £25.43

$43.57 £32.24

-21.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 £37.20

$41.22 £30.50

21.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.49 £11.46

Cinema Ticket

$12.92 £9.56

$13.83 £10.23

-6.58%

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

$1,615 £1,195

$1,971 £1,459

-18.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K £13.5K

$21.4K £15.9K

-14.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 £75.6

$90.1 £66.7

13.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.1 £44.44

$41.94 £31.04

43.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 £91.4

$88.7 £65.6

39.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 £66.0

$107 £79.5

-16.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 £1,083

$1,625 £1,203

-9.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$828 £613

$1,255 £929

-33.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,610 £1,932

$2,665 £1,972

-2.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,270 £939

$2,052 £1,518

-38.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,204 £3,851

$4,750 £3,515

9.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,964 £2,934

$4,542 £3,361

-12.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,090 £1,547

$3,392 £2,510

-38.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

5.92

-7.94%

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

Last update for Durham: April 25, 2026

Last update for Manchester: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,463 in Durham and $1,625 in Manchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manchester pays 62% 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: $97.0 in Durham vs $95.0 in Manchester. Groceries flip the comparison at $296 vs $333, with Durham 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

Durham vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durham and Manchester differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($2,033 vs $2,631 including rent). Durham is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Manchester earns 62% 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: $1,463 in Durham versus $1,625 in Manchester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,033 per month in Durham versus $2,631 in Manchester – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Durham runs roughly 116% less than in Manchester. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,033 in Durham versus $2,631 in Manchester, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Durham but tight or insufficient in Manchester. The gap between the two cities makes Durham 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, Durham 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 Durham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.