Cost of Living Comparison Between Lincoln and Manchester Cost of Living Comparison Between Lincoln and Manchester

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,288 in Lincoln versus $2,651 in Manchester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Lincoln versus $3,871 in Manchester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,444 in Lincoln versus $5,091 in Manchester.

Living in Lincoln costs roughly 14% less than in Manchester, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lincoln 71% above, Manchester 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.59 £20.55

$20.74 £15.45

33.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 £56.6

$94.5 £70.4

-19.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 £7.70

$10.75 £8.00

-3.81%

Cappuccino

$5.41 £4.03

$4.94 £3.68

9.51%

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

$2.26 £1.68

$2.59 £1.93

-12.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.70 £1.26

-7.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.91 £5.15

$7.41 £5.52

-6.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.59 £4.91

$7.52 £5.60

-12.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 £1.10

$1.62 £1.21

-8.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.80 £1.34

-18.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 £0.98

$2.16 £1.61

-38.89%

Eggs

$3.40 £2.53

$4.08 £3.04

-16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.15 £6.82

$12.05 £8.97

-24.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.08 £6.76

$9.75 £7.26

-6.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.87 £8.84

$17.39 £12.95

-31.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 £2.87

$3.30 £2.46

16.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 £0.92

$1.84 £1.37

-32.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 £2.12

$3.82 £2.84

-25.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 £2.29

$4.35 £3.24

-29.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 £0.73

$2.10 £1.56

-53.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.80 £1.34

-8.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 £0.92

$1.31 £0.97

-5.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 £1.07

$1.47 £1.10

-2.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.84 £14.03

$18.73 £13.95

0.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.21 £7.60

$10.64 £7.92

-4.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.87 £2.88

$2.57 £1.91

50.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 £2.36

$3.49 £2.60

-9.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.42 £3.29

$2.75 £2.05

60.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.8 £65.4

$121 £90.3

-27.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.13 £3.08

$5.49 £4.09

-24.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 £1.14

$2.85 £2.12

-46.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.13 £35.10

$34.28 £25.53

37.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 £1.47

$1.96 £1.46

1.02%

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

$34.1K £25.4K

$37.8K £28.1K

-9.63%

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

$40.8K £30.4K

$41.8K £31.1K

-2.32%

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

$313 £233

$295 £220

6.19%

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

$15.51 £11.55

$22.44 £16.71

-30.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.54 £34.67

$42.92 £31.96

8.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.31 £32.26

$42.39 £31.57

2.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.75 £13.96

$16.07 £11.97

16.68%

Cinema Ticket

$16.05 £11.96

$13.72 £10.22

16.98%

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

$1,848 £1,377

$1,944 £1,448

-4.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K £15.5K

-0.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 £80.5

$90.6 £67.5

19.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.51 £32.41

$41.85 £31.17

3.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 £58.5

$89.5 £66.6

-12.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 £75.7

$106 £79.0

-4.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 £823

$1,637 £1,219

-32.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$868 £646

$1,256 £936

-30.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,948 £1,451

$2,702 £2,013

-27.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,466 £1,092

$2,077 £1,547

-29.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,594 £1,932

$5,107 £3,804

-49.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,671 £3,479

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,247 £2,419

$3,247 £2,418

0.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.56

5.92

-6.08%

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

Last update for Lincoln: June 1, 2026

Last update for Manchester: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,105 in Lincoln and $1,637 in Manchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lincoln pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $76.0 in Lincoln vs $94.0 in Manchester for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $335 per month, with Lincoln 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

Lincoln vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lincoln and Manchester differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,288 vs $2,651 including rent). Lincoln is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lincoln pays 0% 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: $1,105 in Lincoln versus $1,637 in Manchester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lincoln – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $94.0 in Manchester. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,288 per month in Lincoln versus $2,651 in Manchester – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,288 in Lincoln versus $2,651 in Manchester, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lincoln but tight or insufficient in Manchester. The gap between the two cities makes Lincoln 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, Lincoln 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 Lincoln gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.