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: $2,671 in Manchester versus $2,256 in Ashton-under-Lyne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,874 in Manchester versus $3,401 in Ashton-under-Lyne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,077 in Manchester versus $4,547 in Ashton-under-Lyne.

Living in Manchester is roughly 18% more expensive than Ashton-under-Lyne, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 100% above, Ashton-under-Lyne 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 £15.43

$20.48 £15.25

1.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.4 £71.0

$93.7 £69.8

1.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.00 £8.19

$9.37 £6.98

17.40%

Cappuccino

$4.89 £3.64

$4.58 £3.41

6.77%

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

$2.54 £1.90

$2.14 £1.59

18.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.52 £1.13

14.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.63 £5.69

$6.72 £5.00

13.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.34 £5.47

$6.14 £4.57

19.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 £1.27

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.29

$1.63 £1.22

6.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 £1.67

$2.24 £1.67

0.45%

Eggs

$4.02 £2.99

$4.03 £3.00

-0.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.29 £9.16

$8.53 £6.35

44.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.46 £7.04

$9.06 £6.75

4.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.95 £12.63

$15.10 £11.24

12.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 £2.40

$2.86 £2.13

12.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 £1.33

$1.58 £1.18

12.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.86 £2.88

$2.59 £1.93

49.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 £3.08

$3.70 £2.75

11.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 £1.58

$1.85 £1.38

14.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 £1.37

$1.78 £1.33

3.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.93

$1.26 £0.94

-0.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 £1.06

$1.32 £0.98

7.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.93 £14.10

$19.24 £14.33

-1.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.58 £7.88

$10.17 £7.57

4.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 £1.92

$2.57 £1.91

0.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 £2.67

$2.76 £2.05

30.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 £2.05

$3.42 £2.55

-19.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$124 £92.0

$89.3 £66.5

38.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 £3.94

$4.03 £3.00

31.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.92 £2.18

$1.53 £1.14

90.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.80 £25.17

$16.11 £12.00

109.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.96 £1.46

-0.51%

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

$38.1K £28.4K

$38.2K £28.5K

-0.36%

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

$41.3K £30.8K

$37.6K £28.0K

10.08%

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

$296 £221

$294 £219

0.70%

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

$22.77 £16.96

$18.39 £13.70

23.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.75 £31.84

$42.81 £31.88

-0.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.69 £31.05

$45.05 £33.55

-7.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.56 £11.59

$20.59 £15.34

-24.43%

Cinema Ticket

$13.48 £10.04

$13.36 £9.95

0.90%

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

$1,947 £1,450

$1,659 £1,235

17.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K £15.8K

$16.2K £12.1K

30.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 £68.0

$89.7 £66.8

1.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.92 £31.22

$41.55 £30.95

0.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 £67.0

$87.7 £65.4

2.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 £79.5

$106 £79.3

0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 £1,188

$1,199 £893

33.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,250 £931

$1,021 £761

22.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 £1,985

$2,076 £1,546

28.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,079 £1,549

$1,687 £1,257

23.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,010 £3,731

$2,723 £2,028

84.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,644 £3,459

$2,325 £1,732

99.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,196 £2,380

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Ashton-under-Lyne: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,596 in Manchester and $1,199 in Ashton-under-Lyne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $95.0 in Manchester vs $94.0 in Ashton-under-Lyne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $331 vs $296 per month, with Ashton-under-Lyne 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 Ashton-under-Lyne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ashton-under-Lyne wins on cost – living expenses run 18% 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 $4,007 in Manchester and $3,384 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: $1,596 in Manchester versus $1,199 in Ashton-under-Lyne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% 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 $94.0 versus $95.0 in Manchester. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,256 in Ashton-under-Lyne versus $2,671 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 $2,256 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 18% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.