Cost of Living Comparison Between Farnborough and Manchester Cost of Living Comparison Between Farnborough and Manchester

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,389 in Farnborough versus $2,597 in Manchester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,654 in Farnborough versus $3,791 in Manchester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,918 in Farnborough versus $4,985 in Manchester.

Living in Farnborough costs roughly 8% less than in Manchester, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Farnborough 74% above, Manchester 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.65 £14.52

$20.25 £14.97

-2.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.1 £65.9

$95.3 £70.5

-6.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.61 £7.10

$10.72 £7.92

-10.35%

Cappuccino

$4.73 £3.50

$4.86 £3.59

-2.67%

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

$2.73 £2.02

$2.69 £1.99

1.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 £1.55

$1.76 £1.30

19.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.44 £5.50

$8.08 £5.98

-7.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.72 £4.97

$6.97 £5.15

-3.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 £1.05

$1.50 £1.11

-5.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.93 £1.43

-15.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 £2.75

$2.01 £1.49

85.07%

Eggs

$3.41 £2.52

$3.84 £2.84

-11.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.07 £6.71

$9.26 £6.85

-2.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.32 £6.15

$8.80 £6.51

-5.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.60 £10.05

$16.51 £12.20

-17.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.72 £1.27

$3.11 £2.30

-44.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 £1.38

$1.54 £1.14

20.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 £2.18

$3.02 £2.23

-2.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 £2.20

$3.51 £2.59

-15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.50 £1.11

8.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 £1.19

$1.32 £0.98

21.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 £0.74

$1.30 £0.96

-22.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 £0.44

$1.23 £0.91

-51.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.46 £17.34

$24.43 £18.06

-3.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.61 £8.59

$10.96 £8.10

5.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 £1.88

$2.47 £1.83

2.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 £1.57

$3.26 £2.41

-34.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 £1.98

$2.66 £1.97

0.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 £78.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 £2.25

$4.51 £3.33

-32.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 £1.16

$2.23 £1.65

-29.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.15 £8.98

$30.69 £22.69

-60.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.45

$2.09 £1.55

-6.22%

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

$38.6K £28.5K

$39.8K £29.4K

-3.01%

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

$41.5K £30.7K

$40.8K £30.1K

1.78%

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

$165 £122

$304 £224

-45.58%

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

$15.09 £11.16

$16.90 £12.49

-10.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.83 £32.40

$40.38 £29.85

8.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 £43.19

$55.1 £40.73

6.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.55 £18.15

$18.59 £13.74

32.06%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 £7.20

$13.65 £10.09

-28.57%

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

$1,303 £963

$1,287 £951

1.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K £14.9K

$20.5K £15.1K

-1.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 £68.4

$93.8 £69.4

-1.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.11 £30.39

$43.08 £31.84

-4.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.3

$98.4 £72.8

4.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 £92.3

$108 £80.2

15.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 £1,248

$1,833 £1,355

-7.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 £962

$1,269 £938

2.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,558 £1,891

$3,134 £2,317

-18.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,433 £1,799

$2,028 £1,499

19.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,007 £3,701

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,739 £3,503

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,174 £3,085

$3,318 £2,453

25.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.16

5.13

0.58%

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

Last update for Farnborough: August 29, 2026

Last update for Manchester: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,688 in Farnborough and $1,833 in Manchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Farnborough pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $89.0 in Farnborough vs $95.0 in Manchester for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $301 per month, with Farnborough 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

Farnborough vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Farnborough and Manchester differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,389 vs $2,597 including rent). Farnborough is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 26% higher in Farnborough, 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: $1,688 in Farnborough versus $1,833 in Manchester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,303 in Farnborough versus $1,287 in Manchester. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Farnborough – a meal for two runs $89.0 versus $95.0 in Manchester. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Farnborough is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Farnborough gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.