Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Birmingham

For one person, living costs are similar in Manchester and in Birmingham: $2,532 and $2,525 a month, rent and utilities included.

123

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Birmingham
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Birmingham Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,532

/mo nomad

Birmingham

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,525

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Birmingham

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

A single person spends $2,532 per month in Manchester vs $2,525 in Birmingham, rent included.

Manchester $2,532
Birmingham $2,525

A couple spends around $3,686 per month in Manchester vs $3,687 in Birmingham, rent included.

Manchester $3,686
Birmingham $3,687

A family of three spends $4,839 per month in Manchester vs $4,848 in Birmingham, rent included.

Manchester $4,839
Birmingham $4,848

Manchester and Birmingham have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Manchester and Birmingham sit above the global median – Manchester by 87%, Birmingham by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 £15.18

$20.40 £15.30

-0.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.1 £65.3

$101 £75.6

-13.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 £8.12

$9.23 £6.92

17.33%

Cappuccino

$4.81 £3.61

$5.02 £3.76

-4.18%

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

$2.44 £1.83

$2.61 £1.96

-6.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.88 £1.41

-13.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 £5.87

$7.44 £5.58

5.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 £4.86

$6.54 £4.90

-0.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 £1.09

$1.90 £1.42

-23.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 £1.47

$1.87 £1.40

4.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 £1.40

$2.65 £1.98

-29.81%

Eggs

$4.05 £3.04

$3.96 £2.97

2.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.76 £7.32

$9.09 £6.82

7.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 £6.83

$8.87 £6.65

2.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 £11.64

$14.89 £11.17

4.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 £2.40

$2.57 £1.92

24.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 £1.14

$1.76 £1.32

-13.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 £2.26

$2.46 £1.85

22.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 £2.51

$3.57 £2.68

-6.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 £1.17

$1.64 £1.23

-5.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 £0.98

$1.84 £1.38

-29.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 £0.92

$1.33 £0.99

-8.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 £0.96

$1.59 £1.19

-19.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.68 £17.77

$21.79 £16.35

8.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.16

$11.90 £8.93

-8.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 £1.91

$3.58 £2.69

-28.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 £2.36

$3.28 £2.46

-3.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £2.01

$3.89 £2.92

-31.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 £79.1

$92.4 £69.4

14.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 £3.31

$5.03 £3.77

-12.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 £1.65

$2.44 £1.83

-9.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 £22.85

$24.06 £18.05

26.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 £1.53

$2.11 £1.58

-3.32%

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

$39.2K £29.4K

$38.1K £28.6K

2.74%

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

$40.3K £30.2K

$40.6K £30.5K

-0.85%

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

$252 £189

$327 £246

-23.11%

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

$16.62 £12.47

$21.06 £15.80

-21.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.61 £30.47

$47.61 £35.72

-14.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 £41.32

$38.44 £28.84

43.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.02 £13.52

$30.21 £22.66

-40.35%

Cinema Ticket

$13.26 £9.95

$16.05 £12.04

-17.38%

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

$1,252 £939

$1,638 £1,229

-23.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K £14.9K

$23.9K £17.9K

-16.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.2 £63.2

$106 £79.9

-20.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.72 £32.05

$48.88 £36.67

-12.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 £69.2

$119 £88.9

-22.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.8

$146 £109

-27.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 £1,342

$1,417 £1,063

26.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 £932

$1,113 £835

11.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,014 £2,261

$2,143 £1,608

40.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 £1,471

$1,721 £1,291

13.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,552 £3,415

$5,444 £4,084

-16.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,349 £3,262

$4,211 £3,160

3.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,460 £2,596

$4,534 £3,401

-23.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

5.09

-5.30%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 18, 2026

Last update for Birmingham: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.2K 49.1%

Birmingham

$1.1K 44.1% 10.4% $130

Eating Out

Manchester

$320 12.7%

Birmingham

$319 12.7% 0.3% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$309 12.2%

Birmingham

$396 15.7% 28.2% $87

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$301 11.9%

Birmingham

$313 12.4% 3.8% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$146 5.8%

Birmingham

$189 7.5% 28.9% $42

Getting Around

Manchester

$132 5.2%

Birmingham

$125 5% 4.8% $6.4

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$82 3.2%

Birmingham

$71 2.8% 13.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,789 in Manchester versus $1,417 in Birmingham. 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 31% higher in Birmingham. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87.0 in Manchester versus $101 in Birmingham. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $301 vs $313 – making Manchester the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Birmingham

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

1,036,878

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manchester Birmingham 110 km

From you

Manchester
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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 Birmingham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,798 per month in Manchester and $3,788 in Birmingham. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Birmingham, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Manchester – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

Kindergarten costs $1,252 per month in Manchester and $1,638 in Birmingham. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,532 in Manchester and $2,525 in Birmingham. 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 $2,525 in Birmingham to $2,532 in Manchester. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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