Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston upon Thames and Manchester Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston upon Thames and Manchester

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,339 in Kingston upon Thames versus $2,684 in Manchester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,816 in Kingston upon Thames versus $3,957 in Manchester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,293 in Kingston upon Thames versus $5,230 in Manchester.

Living in Kingston upon Thames is roughly 24% more expensive than in Manchester, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kingston upon Thames 150% above, Manchester 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.36 £17.37

$20.17 £15.00

15.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.3 £64.2

$96.9 £72.1

-10.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 £7.52

$10.78 £8.02

-6.22%

Cappuccino

$5.12 £3.81

$5.10 £3.79

0.39%

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

$2.85 £2.12

$2.53 £1.88

12.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 £1.33

$1.68 £1.25

6.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.62 £6.41

$7.31 £5.43

17.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 £5.96

$7.67 £5.70

4.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 £1.16

$1.69 £1.26

-7.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 £1.12

$1.71 £1.27

-12.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 £2.06

$2.25 £1.68

23.11%

Eggs

$4.13 £3.07

$4.07 £3.03

1.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 £7.55

$12.25 £9.11

-17.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.91 £6.63

$9.42 £7.01

-5.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.89 £11.07

$17.22 £12.81

-13.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 £2.55

$3.35 £2.49

2.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 £1.51

$1.80 £1.34

12.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 £2.28

$4.01 £2.99

-23.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 £2.57

$4.14 £3.08

-16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 £1.15

$2.05 £1.52

-24.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 £1.38

$1.80 £1.34

3.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 £0.80

$1.25 £0.93

-13.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.49 £1.11

28.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 £13.46

$19.21 £14.29

-5.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 £8.36

$10.00 £7.44

12.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 £2.44

$2.46 £1.83

33.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 £3.01

$3.61 £2.69

12.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 £1.76

$2.65 £1.97

-10.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.68 £32.49

$122 £90.5

-64.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 £3.81

$5.33 £3.96

-3.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 £1.61

$2.86 £2.12

-24.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.21 £25.45

$33.58 £24.98

1.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.89 £1.40

3.70%

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

$38.4K £28.5K

$38.7K £28.8K

-0.89%

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

$39.3K £29.3K

$41.5K £30.9K

-5.23%

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

$329 £244

$302 £225

8.66%

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

$15.66 £11.65

$22.97 £17.08

-31.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.27 £30.70

$43.39 £32.27

-4.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.0 £67.7

$40.99 £30.49

122.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.75 £7.25

$15.62 £11.62

-37.58%

Cinema Ticket

$20.73 £15.42

$13.50 £10.04

53.56%

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

$1,896 £1,410

$1,984 £1,476

-4.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K £13.4K

$21.0K £15.6K

-14.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.7 £64.5

$91.3 £67.9

-4.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.70 £31.76

$42.23 £31.41

1.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 £66.9

$88.1 £65.6

2.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 £103

$108 £80.5

27.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,044 £1,520

$1,638 £1,218

24.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 £1,384

$1,256 £934

48.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,743 £2,784

$2,747 £2,043

36.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,262 £2,426

$2,049 £1,524

59.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.3K £12.1K

$4,946 £3,679

229.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,372 £3,252

$4,671 £3,474

-6.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,830 £3,592

$3,154 £2,346

53.14%

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 Kingston upon Thames: July 11, 2026

Last update for Manchester: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,044 in Kingston upon Thames and $1,638 in Manchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston upon Thames pays 53% 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: $86.0 in Kingston upon Thames vs $97.0 in Manchester for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $331 per month, with Kingston upon Thames 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

Kingston upon Thames vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kingston upon Thames and Manchester differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($3,339 vs $2,684 including rent). Manchester is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 53% higher in Kingston upon Thames, 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: $2,044 in Kingston upon Thames versus $1,638 in Manchester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Manchester runs roughly 178% less than in Kingston upon Thames. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,896 in Kingston upon Thames versus $1,984 in Manchester. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Manchester 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.

Safety-wise, Kingston upon Thames 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 Manchester gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Kingston upon Thames. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.