Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Bradford Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Bradford

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,614 per month in Manchester vs $2,054 in Bradford, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,917 per month in Manchester vs $2,928 in Bradford, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,220 per month in Manchester vs $3,802 in Bradford, rent included.

Manchester costs about 27% more than Bradford, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Manchester and Bradford sit above the global median – Manchester by 95%, Bradford by 53%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.40 £15.17

$17.36 £12.91

17.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.5 £71.7

$76.6 £57.0

25.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 £7.97

$10.93 £8.13

-1.92%

Cappuccino

$5.01 £3.73

$4.52 £3.36

10.84%

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

$2.61 £1.94

$2.33 £1.74

12.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.27

$1.81 £1.35

-6.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 £5.60

$5.42 £4.03

38.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.44 £5.53

$5.53 £4.11

34.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.59 £1.18

5.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 £1.27

$1.54 £1.14

10.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 £1.59

$3.48 £2.59

-38.79%

Eggs

$3.94 £2.93

$4.03 £3.00

-2.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 £9.17

$9.36 £6.96

31.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.73 £7.23

$8.07 £6.00

20.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.04 £12.67

$14.77 £10.98

15.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 £2.47

$3.23 £2.40

3.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 £1.31

$1.94 £1.44

-8.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.86 £2.87

$3.09 £2.30

24.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 £3.24

$3.77 £2.80

15.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 £1.51

$1.75 £1.30

16.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 £1.36

$1.35 £1.00

35.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

$1.24 £0.92

1.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 £1.06

$1.73 £1.29

-17.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.75 £13.94

$18.63 £13.85

0.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.59 £7.87

$9.08 £6.75

16.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 £1.85

$2.78 £2.06

-10.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 £2.55

$2.74 £2.04

25.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £1.99

$3.47 £2.58

-22.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$124 £92.4

$67.6 £50.3

83.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 £4.09

$5.56 £4.13

-0.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.92 £2.17

$0.91 £0.68

220.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.55 £25.69

$20.16 £14.99

71.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.88 £1.40

4.26%

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

$38.3K £28.5K

$37.9K £28.2K

1.01%

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

$41.6K £31.0K

$39.5K £29.4K

5.39%

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

$299 £222

$317 £236

-5.59%

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

$22.46 £16.70

$18.80 £13.98

19.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.39 £31.51

$44.11 £32.80

-3.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.08 £31.29

$48.80 £36.28

-13.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.04 £11.93

$19.82 £14.73

-19.07%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 £10.12

$12.88 £9.58

5.67%

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

$1,940 £1,442

$1,267 £942

53.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K £15.6K

$13.6K £10.1K

53.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 £65.8

$79.4 £59.0

11.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.66 £30.97

$42.86 £31.87

-2.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 £67.3

$85.9 £63.8

5.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 £79.7

$82.9 £61.6

29.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 £1,189

$783 £582

104.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 £937

$817 £607

54.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,704 £2,011

$1,245 £926

117.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,038 £1,515

$1,127 £838

80.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,929 £3,665

$3,819 £2,840

29.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,694 £3,490

$3,015 £2,242

55.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,254 £2,419

$3,446 £2,562

-5.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.6

5.71%

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

Last update for Manchester: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bradford: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,599 in Manchester versus $783 in Bradford. 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 6% higher in Bradford, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Manchester versus $77.0 in Bradford. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $304 – making Bradford the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Bradford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,614 in Manchester, $2,054 in Bradford – roughly 27% apart. Manchester costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,921 per month in Manchester and $3,081 in Bradford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 9% more in Manchester, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Manchester and $77.0 in Bradford. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Bradford, where all-in costs run around $2,054, than in Manchester at $2,614. In Bradford it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manchester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Manchester has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,054 in Bradford to $2,614 in Manchester. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bradford. 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.