Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilford and Manchester

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilford: $2,414 a month against $2,544 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Manchester outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

117

Cost of Living Index in Ilford
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Ilford Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index

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Ilford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,414

/mo nomad

Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,544

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ilford and in Manchester

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ilford and in Manchester actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,414 per month in Ilford vs $2,544 in Manchester, rent included.

Ilford $2,414
Manchester $2,544

A couple spends around $3,764 per month in Ilford vs $3,691 in Manchester, rent included.

Ilford $3,764
Manchester $3,691

A family of three spends $5,115 per month in Ilford vs $4,839 in Manchester, rent included.

Ilford $5,115
Manchester $4,839

Ilford is about 5% cheaper than Manchester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ilford and Manchester sit above the global median – Ilford by 79%, Manchester by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.28 £15.97

$19.64 £14.74

8.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 £70.5

$87.7 £65.8

7.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 £7.89

$10.47 £7.85

0.38%

Cappuccino

$4.60 £3.45

$4.85 £3.64

-5.15%

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

$2.81 £2.11

$2.49 £1.87

12.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.38

$1.68 £1.26

8.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 £5.93

$7.75 £5.81

2.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.43 £4.82

$6.72 £5.04

-4.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 £1.23

$1.43 £1.07

14.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 £1.29

$1.94 £1.45

-11.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 £1.72

$1.87 £1.40

22.99%

Eggs

$4.60 £3.45

$3.97 £2.98

15.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 £7.09

$9.40 £7.05

0.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 £7.21

$9.02 £6.77

6.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.45 £11.59

$15.39 £11.55

0.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 £2.21

$3.09 £2.32

-4.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 £1.06

$1.58 £1.19

-10.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 £2.22

$3.03 £2.28

-2.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.28 £2.46

$3.37 £2.52

-2.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.25

$1.56 £1.17

7.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 £1.33

$1.36 £1.02

30.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 £0.96

$1.20 £0.90

6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 £1.33

$1.27 £0.95

39.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.20 £16.65

$23.80 £17.85

-6.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.16

$11.11 £8.34

-2.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 £2.28

$2.50 £1.88

21.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 £2.94

$3.12 £2.34

25.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 £2.57

$2.67 £2.00

28.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.6 £73.3

$104 £77.8

-5.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 £4.05

$4.51 £3.39

19.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 £1.96

$2.18 £1.64

19.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.45 £19.09

$29.56 £22.18

-13.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 £1.58

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

$38.9K £29.2K

$37.5K £28.1K

3.98%

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

$40.9K £30.7K

$40.3K £30.2K

1.55%

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

$334 £250

$250 £188

33.33%

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

$18.31 £13.74

$16.38 £12.29

11.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.86 £30.65

$40.35 £30.27

1.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.93 £33.70

$55.5 £41.65

-19.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 £13.75

Cinema Ticket

$17.09 £12.82

$13.11 £9.84

30.36%

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

$2,535 £1,902

$1,240 £930

104.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.1K £26.3K

$19.5K £14.6K

80.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 £66.0

$84.5 £63.4

4.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.25 £34.69

$41.39 £31.05

11.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 £69.8

$91.6 £68.7

1.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 £72.1

$103 £77.6

-7.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 £1,013

$1,827 £1,371

-26.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 £768

$1,267 £950

-19.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,960 £2,221

$3,044 £2,284

-2.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,099 £1,575

$1,983 £1,488

5.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,983 £3,739

$4,537 £3,403

9.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,831 £2,874

$4,324 £3,244

-11.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,485 £2,615

$3,329 £2,498

4.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.04

4.82

4.56%

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

Last update for Ilford: October 10, 2026

Last update for Manchester: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ilford

$1K 42.4%

Manchester

$1.3K 49.8% 23.8% $243

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ilford

$393 16.3%

Manchester

$307 12.1% 21.8% $86

Eating Out

Ilford

$328 13.6%

Manchester

$316 12.4% 3.8% $12

Groceries & Markets

Ilford

$315 13.1%

Manchester

$299 11.8% 5.2% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Ilford

$146 6%

Manchester

$144 5.7% 0.8% $1.1

Getting Around

Ilford

$130 5.4%

Manchester

$130 5.1% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Ilford

$79 3.3%

Manchester

$82 3.2% 3.3% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,350 in Ilford versus $1,827 in Manchester. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 5% higher in Ilford, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94.0 in Ilford versus $88.0 in Manchester. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $315 vs $299 – making Manchester the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Ilford

🇬🇧 Manchester

🕒 Local time

00:08 12:08 AM

Same time as Ilford

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

168,168

503,100

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ilford Manchester 260 km

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Ilford
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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

Ilford vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manchester costs about 5% more than Ilford, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,620 per month in Ilford and $3,816 in Manchester. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ilford, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Manchester – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94.0 in Ilford and $88.0 in Manchester. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ilford, where all-in costs run around $2,414, than in Manchester at $2,544. In Ilford it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manchester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ilford costs $2,414 versus $2,544 in Manchester. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ilford. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manchester makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.