Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Alton

For one person, living is cheaper in Manchester: $2,499 a month against $2,607 in Alton, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Alton despite lower rent and utilities.

121

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Alton
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Alton Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Alton

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Alton

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

A single person spends $2,499 per month in Manchester vs $2,607 in Alton, rent included.

Manchester $2,499
Alton $2,607

A couple spends around $3,623 per month in Manchester vs $3,875 in Alton, rent included.

Manchester $3,623
Alton $3,875

A family of three spends $4,747 per month in Manchester vs $5,143 in Alton, rent included.

Manchester $4,747
Alton $5,143

Manchester is about 4% cheaper than Alton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manchester and Alton sit above the global median – Manchester by 84%, Alton by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 £15.22

$27.13 £20.42

-25.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.0 £64.7

$105 £78.7

-17.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.74 £8.08

$10.75 £8.09

-0.09%

Cappuccino

$4.68 £3.52

$5.69 £4.28

-17.75%

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

$2.44 £1.84

$3.03 £2.28

-19.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 £1.22

$2.20 £1.66

-26.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 £5.85

$9.07 £6.83

-14.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 £5.04

$7.96 £5.99

-15.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 £1.13

$1.81 £1.37

-16.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 £1.42

$2.02 £1.52

-6.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 £1.46

$2.51 £1.89

-22.71%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.07

$3.39 £2.55

20.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 £7.23

$12.77 £9.61

-24.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 £6.76

$10.86 £8.18

-17.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 £11.60

$17.24 £12.98

-10.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.33

$3.14 £2.36

-1.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.19

$1.42 £1.07

11.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 £2.22

$2.99 £2.25

-1.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 £2.52

$3.40 £2.56

-1.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 £1.14

$1.68 £1.26

-10.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 £1.01

$1.81 £1.36

-25.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.95

$1.47 £1.11

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 £0.93

$1.85 £1.39

-33.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.05 £18.10

$23.77 £17.89

1.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.19

$10.50 £7.90

3.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 £1.83

$2.35 £1.77

3.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.38

$2.74 £2.06

15.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 £2.06

$3.49 £2.62

-21.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 £81.2

$98.0 £73.8

10.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 £3.40

$5.46 £4.11

-17.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 £1.67

$3.39 £2.55

-34.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.82 £23.20

$25.69 £19.33

19.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.61

$2.10 £1.58

1.90%

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

$38.5K £28.9K

$38.2K £28.8K

0.58%

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

$40.0K £30.1K

$40.2K £30.2K

-0.28%

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

$252 £190

$369 £278

-31.67%

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

$16.23 £12.21

$18.30 £13.77

-11.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.58 £29.79

$40.58 £30.54

-2.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.67 £32.12

$46.16 £34.74

-7.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.05 £13.59

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 £10.12

$17.88 £13.45

-24.83%

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

$1,494 £1,125

$2,877 £2,165

-48.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K £14.8K

$35.7K £26.9K

-44.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 £62.9

$117 £87.9

-28.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.97 £32.34

$54.5 £41.04

-21.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 £71.5

$128 £96.6

-25.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.7

$165 £124

-35.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,785 £1,344

$1,246 £938

43.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 £920

$1,019 £767

19.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,930 £2,205

$2,098 £1,579

39.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 £1,429

$1,683 £1,267

12.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,668 £3,513

$5,091 £3,832

-8.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,397 £3,309

$3,807 £2,865

15.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,395 £2,555

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

4.74

1.69%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 25, 2026

Last update for Alton: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.2K 48.9%

Alton

$1K 39.1% 16.6% $203

Eating Out

Manchester

$319 12.8%

Alton

$400 15.3% 25.4% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$308 12.3%

Alton

$428 16.4% 39% $120

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$299 12%

Alton

$334 12.8% 12% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$147 5.9%

Alton

$209 8% 41.9% $62

Getting Around

Manchester

$134 5.4%

Alton

$134 5.2% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$70 2.8%

Alton

$82 3.1% 17.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,785 in Manchester versus $1,246 in Alton. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Manchester versus $105 in Alton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $299 vs $334 – making Manchester the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Alton

🕒 Local time

22:07 10:07 PM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

17,816

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manchester Alton 270 km

From you

Manchester
Alton

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Alton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,499 in Manchester, $2,607 in Alton – Manchester comes out roughly 4% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,749 per month in Manchester and $3,911 in Alton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alton, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,246 there versus $1,785 in Manchester.

Public transport costs about 9% less in Alton. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,494 per month in Manchester and $2,877 in Alton. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Manchester has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,499 in Manchester to $2,607 in Alton. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.