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: $2,488 in Farnborough versus $2,696 in Manchester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,692 in Farnborough versus $3,934 in Manchester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,896 in Farnborough versus $5,171 in Manchester.

Living in Farnborough costs roughly 8% less than in Manchester, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Farnborough 85% above, Manchester 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.98 £14.80

$20.33 £15.06

-1.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.3 £58.0

$96.4 £71.5

-18.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.73 £6.47

$10.79 £8.00

-19.09%

Cappuccino

$5.01 £3.71

$5.04 £3.74

-0.60%

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

$2.67 £1.98

$2.59 £1.92

3.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 £1.43

$1.69 £1.25

14.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 £5.33

$7.41 £5.49

-2.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 £5.11

$7.52 £5.57

-8.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.69 £1.25

-9.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 £1.01

$1.74 £1.29

-21.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.71 £2.75

$2.24 £1.66

65.62%

Eggs

$5.42 £4.01

$4.11 £3.04

31.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.97 £6.65

$12.17 £9.01

-26.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 £6.86

$9.33 £6.92

-0.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 £11.00

$17.36 £12.86

-14.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 £1.04

$3.22 £2.39

-56.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.77 £1.31

-10.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 £1.76

$3.94 £2.92

-39.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 £2.42

$4.36 £3.23

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 £1.32

$2.09 £1.55

-14.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 £0.87

$1.87 £1.39

-37.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 £0.69

$1.32 £0.97

-29.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 £0.58

$1.42 £1.05

-45.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.79 £13.18

$18.92 £14.02

-5.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.14 £8.26

$10.72 £7.94

3.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 £2.32

$2.53 £1.87

23.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 £2.58

$3.47 £2.57

0.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 £2.00

$2.76 £2.05

-2.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.1 £65.3

$122 £90.1

-27.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 £2.37

$5.52 £4.09

-42.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 £1.34

$2.94 £2.18

-38.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.46 £9.23

$33.51 £24.83

-62.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 £1.40

$1.98 £1.47

-4.55%

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

$38.3K £28.3K

$38.9K £28.8K

-1.71%

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

$38.0K £28.2K

$41.2K £30.5K

-7.74%

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

$137 £101

$296 £219

-53.71%

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

$16.43 £12.17

$22.89 £16.96

-28.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.02 £30.39

$43.45 £32.20

-5.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 £44.34

$42.06 £31.16

42.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.83 £18.40

$15.93 £11.80

55.87%

Cinema Ticket

$7.96 £5.90

$13.43 £9.95

-40.73%

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

$1,521 £1,127

$1,956 £1,450

-22.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K £13.5K

$20.9K £15.5K

-12.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 £86.5

$90.6 £67.2

28.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 £38.50

$41.37 £30.66

25.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 £84.7

$89.2 £66.1

28.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 £106

$108 £80.3

32.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,726 £1,279

$1,640 £1,216

5.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,344 £996

$1,256 £931

6.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,470 £1,830

$2,700 £2,001

-8.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,165 £1,604

$2,083 £1,543

3.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,717 £3,495

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,596 £3,405

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,315 £3,197

$3,399 £2,519

26.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.62

5.92

-5.07%

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

Last update for Farnborough: April 14, 2026

Last update for Manchester: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,726 in Farnborough and $1,640 in Manchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Farnborough pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $78 in Farnborough vs $96 in Manchester for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $333 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 8% in total monthly costs ($2,488 vs $2,696 including rent). Farnborough is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Farnborough pays 27% more on average, 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: $1,726 in Farnborough versus $1,640 in Manchester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Farnborough – a meal for two runs $78.0 versus $96.0 in Manchester. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,488 per month in Farnborough versus $2,696 in Manchester – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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 8% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.