Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Abingdon-on-Thames Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Abingdon-on-Thames

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,651 in Manchester versus $2,313 in Abingdon-on-Thames.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,871 in Manchester versus $3,392 in Abingdon-on-Thames.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,091 in Manchester versus $4,471 in Abingdon-on-Thames.

Living in Manchester is roughly 15% more expensive than Abingdon-on-Thames, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 98% above, Abingdon-on-Thames 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.74 £15.45

$20.56 £15.32

0.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.5 £70.4

$78.7 £58.6

20.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.01

$11.70 £8.72

-8.12%

Cappuccino

$4.94 £3.68

$3.93 £2.92

25.70%

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

$2.59 £1.93

$2.66 £1.98

-2.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.26

$2.31 £1.72

-26.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 £5.52

$6.44 £4.80

15.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.52 £5.60

$6.73 £5.02

11.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.50 £1.12

8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.37 £1.02

31.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 £1.61

$3.65 £2.72

-40.82%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.04

$5.45 £4.06

-25.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 £8.97

$9.54 £7.11

26.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 £7.26

$7.93 £5.91

22.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.39 £12.96

$14.71 £10.96

18.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 £2.46

$2.31 £1.72

42.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 £1.37

$1.63 £1.22

12.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 £2.84

$2.42 £1.80

57.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 £3.24

$3.06 £2.28

42.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 £1.56

$1.76 £1.31

19.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.16 £0.87

55.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 £0.97

$1.02 £0.76

28.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 £1.10

$2.31 £1.72

-36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.73 £13.95

$17.55 £13.07

6.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 £7.93

$10.91 £8.13

-2.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 £1.91

$2.00 £1.49

28.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 £2.60

$3.44 £2.56

1.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 £2.05

$4.20 £3.13

-34.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 £90.3

$47.35 £35.28

155.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 £4.09

$4.44 £3.31

23.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 £2.12

$1.54 £1.15

85.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.28 £25.54

$32.34 £24.09

6.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.86 £1.39

5.38%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$38.1K £28.4K

-0.87%

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

$41.8K £31.1K

$41.2K £30.7K

1.35%

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

$295 £220

$206 £154

43.03%

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

$22.44 £16.72

$18.69 £13.93

20.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.92 £31.97

$53.6 £39.95

-19.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.39 £31.58

$39.33 £29.30

7.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.07 £11.97

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 £10.22

$12.33 £9.19

11.27%

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

$1,944 £1,448

$1,533 £1,142

26.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K £15.5K

$18.0K £13.4K

15.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 £67.5

$75.0 £55.9

20.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.85 £31.18

$33.80 £25.18

23.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 £66.6

$116 £86.6

-23.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.1

$148 £110

-28.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 £1,220

$1,304 £972

25.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 £936

$1,137 £847

10.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,702 £2,013

$2,058 £1,534

31.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 £1,547

$1,846 £1,375

12.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,107 £3,805

$4,813 £3,585

6.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,671 £3,480

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,247 £2,419

$3,395 £2,530

-4.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.62

5.34%

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

Last update for Manchester: May 31, 2026

Last update for Abingdon-on-Thames: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,637 in Manchester and $1,304 in Abingdon-on-Thames. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abingdon-on-Thames pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $94.0 in Manchester vs $79.0 in Abingdon-on-Thames for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $302 per month, with Abingdon-on-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

Manchester vs Abingdon-on-Thames: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Abingdon-on-Thames wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Manchester. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Abingdon-on-Thames the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Abingdon-on-Thames earns 5% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,637 in Manchester versus $1,304 in Abingdon-on-Thames. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Manchester. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Abingdon-on-Thames – a meal for two runs $79.0 versus $94.0 in Manchester. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,313 in Abingdon-on-Thames versus $2,651 in Manchester, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Abingdon-on-Thames but tight or insufficient in Manchester. The gap between the two cities makes Abingdon-on-Thames the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Abingdon-on-Thames delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,313 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Abingdon-on-Thames hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Manchester and Abingdon-on-Thames 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 Abingdon-on-Thames gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.