Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Brecon Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Brecon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,651 in Manchester versus $2,489 in Brecon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,871 in Manchester versus $3,717 in Brecon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,091 in Manchester versus $4,945 in Brecon.

Living in Manchester is roughly 7% more expensive than Brecon, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 98% above, Brecon 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.74 £15.45

$20.48 £15.25

1.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.5 £70.4

$107 £79.8

-11.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.01

$11.00 £8.19

-2.27%

Cappuccino

$4.94 £3.68

$4.87 £3.63

1.44%

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

$2.59 £1.93

$2.55 £1.90

1.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.26

$2.06 £1.53

-17.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 £5.52

$7.58 £5.65

-2.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.52 £5.60

$7.22 £5.38

4.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 £1.21

$2.31 £1.72

-29.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.70 £1.27

5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 £1.61

$3.25 £2.42

-33.54%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.04

$6.04 £4.50

-32.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 £8.97

$10.40 £7.75

15.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 £7.26

$10.53 £7.84

-7.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.39 £12.96

$17.64 £13.14

-1.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 £2.46

$3.96 £2.95

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 £1.37

$1.21 £0.90

52.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 £2.84

$4.71 £3.51

-18.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 £3.24

$4.50 £3.35

-3.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 £1.56

$1.53 £1.14

37.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.69 £1.26

6.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 £0.97

$1.69 £1.26

-22.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.72 £1.28

-14.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.73 £13.95

$17.35 £12.92

7.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 £7.93

$10.95 £8.15

-2.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 £1.91

$3.18 £2.37

-19.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 £2.60

$3.24 £2.41

7.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 £2.05

$3.28 £2.44

-16.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 £90.3

$88.5 £65.9

36.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 £4.09

$4.14 £3.09

32.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 £2.12

$1.92 £1.43

48.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.28 £25.54

$27.23 £20.28

25.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.89 £1.41

3.70%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$39.9K £29.8K

-5.44%

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

$41.8K £31.1K

$44.3K £33.0K

-5.57%

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

$295 £220

$349 £260

-15.44%

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

$22.44 £16.72

$18.77 £13.99

19.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.92 £31.97

$55.2 £41.12

-22.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.39 £31.58

$45.77 £34.10

-7.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.07 £11.97

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 £10.22

$22.58 £16.82

-39.24%

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

$1,944 £1,448

$1,570 £1,170

23.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K £15.5K

$16.3K £12.1K

27.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 £67.5

$83.8 £62.5

8.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.85 £31.18

$30.87 £23.00

35.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 £66.6

$89.9 £67.0

-0.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.1

$86.7 £64.6

22.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 £1,220

$1,233 £918

32.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 £936

$994 £741

26.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,702 £2,013

$2,049 £1,527

31.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 £1,547

$1,725 £1,285

20.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,107 £3,805

$5,286 £3,938

-3.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,671 £3,480

$2,682 £1,998

74.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,247 £2,419

$3,646 £2,716

-10.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.25

12.76%

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

Last update for Manchester: May 31, 2026

Last update for Brecon: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,637 in Manchester and $1,233 in Brecon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brecon pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $94.0 in Manchester vs $107 in Brecon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $362 per month, with Manchester cheaper across the board.

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 Brecon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brecon is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Clothing & Footwear. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Brecon earns 12% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,637 in Manchester versus $1,233 in Brecon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brecon – a meal for two runs $107 versus $94.0 in Manchester. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,651 per month in Manchester versus $2,489 in Brecon – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,489 in Brecon versus $2,651 in Manchester, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Brecon but tight or insufficient in Manchester. The gap between the two cities makes Brecon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Brecon is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Manchester, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Manchester and Brecon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Brecon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.