Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Manchester: $2,563 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Manchester
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,563
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,704
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,563 in Manchester versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

  • Manchester $2,563
  • Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,739 in Manchester versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

  • Manchester $3,739
  • Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,915 in Manchester versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

  • Manchester $4,915
  • Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Manchester costs roughly 5% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 91% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Manchester
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.48 £14.73
$20.22 $20.22
-3.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$86.9 £65.7
$85.0 $85.0
2.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.57 £7.99
$12.35 $12.35
-14.41%
Cappuccino
$4.78 £3.61
$5.47 $5.47
-12.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 £1.90
$3.82 $3.82
-34.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 £1.21
$2.50 $2.50
-36.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.87 £5.95
$8.06 $8.06
-2.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.73 £5.08
$8.99 $8.99
-25.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Manchester
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 £1.12
$1.13 $1.13
31.86%
White Bread (500g)
$1.95 £1.47
$3.78 $3.78
-48.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.93 £1.46
$3.25 $3.25
-40.62%
Eggs
$3.99 £3.02
$4.14 $4.14
-3.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.54 £7.21
$13.08 $13.08
-27.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.95 £6.77
$14.31 $14.31
-37.46%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.26 £11.53
$15.96 $15.96
-4.39%
Apples (1kg)
$3.04 £2.30
$4.38 $4.38
-30.59%
Banana (1kg)
$1.58 £1.19
$1.45 $1.45
8.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.01 £2.28
$4.54 $4.54
-33.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.47 £2.63
$4.19 $4.19
-17.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.49 £1.13
$2.63 $2.63
-43.35%
Onion (1kg)
$1.30 £0.98
$2.36 $2.36
-44.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.21 £0.91
$1.76 $1.76
-31.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 £0.96
$2.16 $2.16
-41.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.04 £17.42
$9.81 $9.81
134.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.84 £8.19
$14.72 $14.72
-26.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.42 £1.83
$2.78 $2.78
-12.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.03 £2.29
$3.48 $3.48
-12.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Manchester
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.57 £1.95
$1.49 $1.49
72.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$104 £78.7
$40.51 $40.51
157.10%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.49 £3.39
$2.67 $2.67
68.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.08 £1.57
$1.58 $1.58
31.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.72 £22.47
$35.29 $35.29
-15.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.11 £1.59
$0.99 $0.99
113.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.8K £29.4K
$35.8K $35.8K
8.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.2K £30.4K
$27.2K $27.2K
47.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Manchester
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$243 £184
$219 $219
11.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.52 £12.48
$58.0 $58.0
-71.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.77 £30.06
$68.4 $68.4
-41.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Manchester
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.6 £42.75
$57.9 $57.9
-2.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.03 £13.63
$14.82 $14.82
21.66%
Cinema Ticket
$13.05 £9.86
$14.13 $14.13
-7.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Manchester
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,246 £942
$1,509 $1,509
-17.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.9K £15.1K
$21.5K $21.5K
-7.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Manchester
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$83.4 £63.1
$51.7 $51.7
61.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.34 £32.01
$44.05 $44.05
-3.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 £71.3
$85.1 $85.1
10.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 £77.8
$105 $105
-2.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Manchester
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,832 £1,385
$1,932 $1,932
-5.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,238 £935
$1,272 $1,272
-2.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,095 £2,340
$3,670 $3,670
-15.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,006 £1,516
$2,525 $2,525
-20.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,607 £3,482
$7,617 $7,617
-39.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,481 £3,387
$3,199 $3,199
40.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Manchester
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,438 £2,599
$5,105 $5,105
-32.64%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.82
6.79
-29.01%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 5, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Manchester
$1.2K
Austin, TX
$1.3K 2.8% $35
Eating Out
Manchester
$314
Austin, TX
$348 10.8% $34
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Manchester
$300
Austin, TX
$346 15.3% $46
Groceries & Markets
Manchester
$298
Austin, TX
$403 35.1% $105
Clothing & Footwear
Manchester
$145
Austin, TX
$129 11.4% $17
Getting Around
Manchester
$129
Austin, TX
$57 55.9% $72
Sport & Entertainment
Manchester
$83
Austin, TX
$86 4.2% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,832 in Manchester and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 48% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $87.0 in Manchester vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $403, with Manchester cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Manchester
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
01:32 1:32 AM
19:32 7:32 PM
6 h behind Manchester
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
503,100
974,447
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.848 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Manchester Austin, TX 7,690 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Manchester
  • Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Manchester or Austin, TX?
Manchester wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Manchester the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Manchester or in Austin, TX?
On paper, salaries run 48% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Manchester compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,832 in Manchester versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Manchester compared to Austin, TX?
All in, you'll spend $2,563 per month in Manchester versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Manchester compared to Austin, TX?
A monthly transit pass in Manchester runs roughly 157% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Manchester or in Austin, TX?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Manchester is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Manchester or Austin, TX?
Both work as nomad bases, but Manchester delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,563 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Manchester hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Manchester gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Manchester vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?