Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Basildon

For one person, living is cheaper in Basildon: $2,374 a month against $2,499 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Manchester despite lower rent and utilities.

121

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Basildon
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Basildon Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Basildon

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,374

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Basildon

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

A single person spends $2,499 per month in Manchester vs $2,374 in Basildon, rent included.

Manchester $2,499
Basildon $2,374

A couple spends around $3,623 per month in Manchester vs $3,407 in Basildon, rent included.

Manchester $3,623
Basildon $3,407

A family of three spends $4,747 per month in Manchester vs $4,441 in Basildon, rent included.

Manchester $4,747
Basildon $4,441

Manchester costs about 5% more than Basildon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Manchester and Basildon sit above the global median – Manchester by 84%, Basildon by 74%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 £15.11

$20.45 £15.28

-1.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.0 £64.3

$59.5 £44.45

44.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.74 £8.02

$9.14 £6.83

17.51%

Cappuccino

$4.68 £3.50

$4.76 £3.56

-1.68%

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

$2.44 £1.82

$3.21 £2.40

-23.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.57 £1.17

3.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 £5.81

$6.78 £5.06

14.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 £5.01

$3.92 £2.93

70.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.32 £0.98

14.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 £1.41

$2.10 £1.57

-10.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.52 £1.13

27.63%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.04

$4.05 £3.02

0.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 £7.18

$8.53 £6.37

12.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 £6.71

$4.63 £3.46

93.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 £11.51

$11.84 £8.84

30.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.31

$3.14 £2.35

-1.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.30 £0.97

21.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 £2.20

$1.99 £1.49

48.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$3.26 £2.43

2.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 £1.13

$1.56 £1.17

-3.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 £1.01

$1.85 £1.38

-27.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

$1.06 £0.79

18.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 £0.92

$1.18 £0.89

4.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.05 £17.96

$20.22 £15.11

18.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.13

$10.71 £8.00

1.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 £1.81

$2.34 £1.75

3.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.37

$1.63 £1.21

94.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 £2.04

$2.68 £2.00

1.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 £80.6

$67.6 £50.5

59.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 £3.37

$5.30 £3.96

-14.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 £1.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.82 £23.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.60

$1.93 £1.44

10.88%

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

$38.5K £28.7K

$38.2K £28.5K

0.69%

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

$40.0K £29.9K

$40.3K £30.1K

-0.66%

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

$252 £189

$284 £212

-11.07%

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

$16.23 £12.12

$13.36 £9.98

21.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.58 £29.57

$35.04 £26.18

12.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.67 £31.88

$44.46 £33.21

-4.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.05 £13.49

$27.04 £20.20

-33.25%

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 £10.04

$14.08 £10.52

-4.55%

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

$1,494 £1,116

$2,229 £1,665

-32.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K £14.7K

$29.2K £21.8K

-32.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 £62.4

$75.6 £56.5

10.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.97 £32.10

$52.4 £39.15

-18.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 £71.0

$54.3 £40.57

74.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.1

$52.8 £39.44

100.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,785 £1,334

$1,677 £1,253

6.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 £913

$1,219 £911

0.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,930 £2,189

$2,358 £1,762

24.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 £1,419

$2,012 £1,503

-5.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,668 £3,487

$5,273 £3,939

-11.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,397 £3,285

$3,358 £2,509

30.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,395 £2,536

$2,893 £2,162

17.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

5.4

-10.74%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 25, 2026

Last update for Basildon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.2K 48.9%

Basildon

$1.2K 51.4% 0.3% $3.1

Eating Out

Manchester

$319 12.8%

Basildon

$309 13% 3% $9.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$308 12.3%

Basildon

$332 14% 7.8% $24

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$299 12%

Basildon

$252 10.6% 15.7% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$147 5.9%

Basildon

$106 4.5% 28.2% $42

Getting Around

Manchester

$134 5.4%

Basildon

$84 * 3.5% 37.8% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$70 2.8%

Basildon

$73 3.1% 4.4% $3.1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,785 in Manchester versus $1,677 in Basildon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 17% higher in Manchester. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Manchester versus $59 in Basildon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $299 vs $252 – making Basildon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Basildon

🕒 Local time

06:06 6:06 AM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

184,479

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manchester Basildon 280 km

From you

Manchester
Basildon

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 Basildon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manchester costs about 5% more than Basildon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,749 per month in Manchester and $3,561 in Basildon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,785 in Manchester and $1,677 in Basildon. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,499 in Manchester and $2,374 in Basildon. That makes Basildon about 5% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Basildon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,499 in Manchester and $2,374 in Basildon. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Manchester has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,374 in Basildon to $2,499 in Manchester. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Basildon. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manchester makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.