Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Bedford

For one person, living is cheaper in Bedford: $2,117 a month against $2,510 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Bedford
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Bedford Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,510

/mo nomad

Bedford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Bedford

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

A single person spends $2,510 per month in Manchester vs $2,117 in Bedford, rent included.

Manchester $2,510
Bedford $2,117

A couple spends around $3,643 per month in Manchester vs $3,333 in Bedford, rent included.

Manchester $3,643
Bedford $3,333

A family of three spends $4,776 per month in Manchester vs $4,549 in Bedford, rent included.

Manchester $4,776
Bedford $4,549

Manchester costs about 19% more than Bedford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Manchester and Bedford sit above the global median – Manchester by 86%, Bedford by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.16 £14.95

$19.85 £14.72

1.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 £64.9

$88.8 £65.9

-1.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 £8.00

$10.89 £8.08

-1.01%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.55

$4.54 £3.36

5.29%

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

$2.62 £1.94

$2.00 £1.48

31.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.18 £0.87

47.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.92 £5.88

$6.72 £4.98

17.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 £4.83

$5.98 £4.43

9.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 £1.00

$1.73 £1.28

-21.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 £1.39

$1.49 £1.10

26.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 £1.42

$1.64 £1.22

17.07%

Eggs

$4.04 £3.00

$3.81 £2.83

6.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 £7.11

$9.42 £6.99

1.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 £6.87

$8.63 £6.40

7.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.66 £11.62

$12.96 £9.61

20.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 £2.28

$3.35 £2.49

-8.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.34 £0.99

14.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 £2.16

$2.54 £1.88

14.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 £2.62

$3.12 £2.31

13.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 £1.15

$1.34 £0.99

14.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 £1.02

$1.36 £1.01

1.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 £0.90

$1.04 £0.77

16.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 £1.03

$1.35 £1.00

2.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.21 £17.95

$23.59 £17.50

2.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.05 £8.19

$10.80 £8.01

2.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 £1.84

$2.66 £1.97

-6.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 £2.15

$2.46 £1.83

17.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 £1.93

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 £80.9

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 £3.31

$5.05 £3.74

-11.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 £1.64

$1.64 £1.21

34.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.93 £22.94

$20.36 £15.10

51.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 £1.61

$1.97 £1.46

10.66%

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

$39.2K £29.1K

$39.2K £29.0K

0.21%

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

$39.9K £29.6K

$40.4K £30.0K

-1.22%

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

$248 £184

$316 £234

-21.43%

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

$16.31 £12.10

$17.74 £13.15

-8.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.73 £29.47

$39.87 £29.57

-0.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.93 £31.84

$38.18 £28.31

12.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.99 £13.34

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 £9.98

$16.11 £11.95

-16.45%

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

$1,448 £1,074

$1,366 £1,013

6.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K £15.6K

$23.7K £17.6K

-11.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.3 £61.8

$23.98 £17.79

247.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.32 £32.13

$25.73 £19.08

68.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 £70.8

$79.6 £59.1

19.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 £74.1

$88.8 £65.9

12.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,818 £1,348

$1,126 £835

61.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,234 £915

$965 £716

27.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,925 £2,169

$2,461 £1,825

18.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 £1,424

$2,037 £1,511

-5.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,751 £3,523

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,313 £3,199

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,798 £2,817

$3,303 £2,450

14.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

4.67

2.57%

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

Last update for Manchester: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bedford: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.2K 49.2%

Bedford

$965 45.6% 21.8% $269

Eating Out

Manchester

$321 12.8%

Bedford

$304 14.4% 5.3% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$304 12.1%

Bedford

$374 17.7% 22.8% $69

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$301 12%

Bedford

$282 13.3% 6.5% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$145 5.8%

Bedford

$98 4.6% 32.2% $47

Getting Around

Manchester

$135 5.4%

Bedford

$24 * 1.1% 82.5% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$70 2.8%

Bedford

$70 3.3% 0.8% $0.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,818 in Manchester versus $1,126 in Bedford. 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 15% higher in Manchester, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87 in Manchester versus $89 in Bedford. Groceries tell a different story – $301 in Manchester vs $282 in Bedford – so Bedford wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Bedford

🕒 Local time

12:16 12:16 PM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

80,000

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.35 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.35 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manchester Bedford 190 km

From you

Manchester
Bedford

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 Bedford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manchester costs about 19% more than Bedford, 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 $3,765 per month in Manchester and $3,175 in Bedford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bedford, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,126 there versus $1,818 in Manchester.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,510 in Manchester and $2,117 in Bedford. That makes Bedford about 16% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Manchester, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,510 in Manchester and $2,117 in Bedford. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Bedford – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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