Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Ashton-under-Lyne Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Ashton-under-Lyne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,648 in Manchester versus $2,303 in Ashton-under-Lyne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,928 in Manchester versus $3,461 in Ashton-under-Lyne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,208 in Manchester versus $4,619 in Ashton-under-Lyne.

Living in Manchester is roughly 15% more expensive than in Ashton-under-Lyne, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 99% above, Ashton-under-Lyne 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.42 £15.14

$20.68 £15.33

-1.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.4 £70.0

$96.1 £71.2

-1.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.00 £8.16

$9.66 £7.16

13.87%

Cappuccino

$5.14 £3.81

$4.71 £3.49

9.13%

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

$2.63 £1.95

$2.12 £1.57

24.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.52 £1.13

10.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.57 £5.61

$6.74 £5.00

12.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.44 £5.51

$6.28 £4.65

18.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 £1.27

$1.65 £1.22

3.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 £1.31

$1.67 £1.24

5.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 £1.66

$2.19 £1.62

2.28%

Eggs

$4.09 £3.03

$3.93 £2.92

4.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.15 £9.01

$8.22 £6.09

47.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.42 £6.98

$8.73 £6.47

7.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.15 £12.71

$15.14 £11.22

13.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 £2.47

$2.95 £2.19

12.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 £1.33

$1.52 £1.12

17.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 £2.91

$2.48 £1.84

58.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 £3.12

$3.57 £2.64

17.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.52

$1.76 £1.30

16.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 £1.40

$1.80 £1.34

5.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.93

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 £1.11

$1.27 £0.94

18.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.00 £14.09

$19.18 £14.21

-0.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 £7.63

$10.05 £7.45

2.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 £1.91

$2.46 £1.82

4.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 £2.63

$2.77 £2.05

28.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 £1.98

$3.34 £2.47

-20.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$123 £91.5

$88.9 £65.9

38.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.31 £3.94

$4.19 £3.11

26.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 £2.11

$1.60 £1.19

78.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.57 £25.63

$16.02 £11.88

115.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.46

$1.88 £1.39

4.79%

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

$37.7K £27.9K

$38.1K £28.2K

-0.93%

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

$40.5K £30.0K

$37.7K £28.0K

7.31%

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

$303 £224

$287 £213

5.41%

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

$22.65 £16.79

$18.32 £13.58

23.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.94 £31.82

$42.43 £31.45

1.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.89 £30.31

$45.38 £33.64

-9.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.65 £11.60

$20.35 £15.09

-23.10%

Cinema Ticket

$13.81 £10.24

$13.54 £10.04

1.99%

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

$1,956 £1,450

$1,653 £1,225

18.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K £15.8K

$16.6K £12.3K

28.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 £65.6

$86.8 £64.4

1.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.00 £31.13

$41.17 £30.51

2.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 £64.8

$89.4 £66.3

-2.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 £80.6

$106 £78.9

2.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,623 £1,203

$1,213 £899

33.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 £929

$1,019 £755

23.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,724 £2,019

$2,059 £1,526

32.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,051 £1,521

$1,732 £1,284

18.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,997 £3,704

$5,166 £3,829

-3.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,610 £3,417

$2,265 £1,679

103.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,183 £2,359

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.76

2.78%

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

Last update for Manchester: July 26, 2026

Last update for Ashton-under-Lyne: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,623 in Manchester and $1,213 in Ashton-under-Lyne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $94.0 in Manchester vs $96.0 in Ashton-under-Lyne. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $290, with Ashton-under-Lyne cheaper for home cooking.

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 Ashton-under-Lyne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You'd need roughly $3,972 in Manchester and $3,454 in Ashton-under-Lyne to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,623 in Manchester versus $1,213 in Ashton-under-Lyne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Manchester. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ashton-under-Lyne – a meal for two runs $96.0 versus $94.0 in Manchester. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,303 in Ashton-under-Lyne versus $2,648 in Manchester, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ashton-under-Lyne but tight or insufficient in Manchester. The gap between the two cities makes Ashton-under-Lyne the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ashton-under-Lyne delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,303 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ashton-under-Lyne hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Ashton-under-Lyne 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.