Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Bridgend Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Bridgend

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,614 in Manchester versus $2,434 in Bridgend.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,917 in Manchester versus $3,538 in Bridgend.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,220 in Manchester versus $4,642 in Bridgend.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 95% above, Bridgend 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.40 £15.17

$21.82 £16.22

-6.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.5 £71.7

$80.5 £59.9

19.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 £7.97

$10.23 £7.61

4.79%

Cappuccino

$5.01 £3.73

$3.71 £2.76

35.04%

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

$2.61 £1.94

$2.27 £1.69

14.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.27

$1.64 £1.22

3.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 £5.60

$4.81 £3.58

56.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.44 £5.53

$6.23 £4.63

19.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.63 £1.21

3.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 £1.27

$1.94 £1.44

-12.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 £1.59

$2.85 £2.12

-25.26%

Eggs

$3.94 £2.93

$6.25 £4.65

-36.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 £9.17

$10.10 £7.51

22.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.73 £7.23

$11.74 £8.73

-17.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.04 £12.67

$14.09 £10.47

20.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 £2.47

$3.09 £2.30

7.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 £1.31

$1.59 £1.18

11.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.86 £2.87

$2.80 £2.08

37.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 £3.24

$3.53 £2.63

23.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 £1.51

$1.64 £1.22

23.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 £1.36

$1.48 £1.10

23.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

$1.07 £0.80

17.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 £1.06

$1.51 £1.12

-5.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.75 £13.94

$18.93 £14.08

-0.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.59 £7.87

$10.63 £7.90

-0.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 £1.85

$2.79 £2.08

-10.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 £2.55

$3.11 £2.31

10.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £1.99

$2.51 £1.86

6.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$124 £92.4

$88.6 £65.9

40.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 £4.09

$5.40 £4.01

2.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.92 £2.17

$1.53 £1.14

90.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.55 £25.69

$23.24 £17.28

48.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$2.12 £1.58

-7.55%

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

$38.3K £28.5K

$38.0K £28.3K

0.65%

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

$41.6K £31.0K

$51.1K £38.0K

-18.53%

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

$299 £222

$369 £275

-18.98%

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

$22.46 £16.70

$26.02 £19.35

-13.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.39 £31.51

$42.52 £31.61

-0.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.08 £31.29

$49.90 £37.10

-15.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.04 £11.93

$10.98 £8.16

46.08%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 £10.12

$13.82 £10.28

-1.52%

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

$1,940 £1,442

$1,620 £1,205

19.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K £15.6K

$18.6K £13.8K

12.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 £65.8

$83.6 £62.2

5.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.66 £30.97

$43.63 £32.44

-4.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 £67.3

$91.5 £68.0

-1.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 £79.7

$84.1 £62.6

27.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 £1,189

$1,246 £927

28.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 £937

$1,016 £756

24.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,704 £2,011

$1,181 £878

128.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,038 £1,515

$1,696 £1,261

20.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,929 £3,665

$4,928 £3,664

0.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,694 £3,490

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,254 £2,419

$2,236 £1,663

45.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.63

5.15%

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

Last update for Manchester: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bridgend: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,599 in Manchester and $1,246 in Bridgend. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manchester pays 45% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $96.0 in Manchester vs $81.0 in Bridgend for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $329 per month, with Bridgend 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 Bridgend: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manchester and Bridgend differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,614 vs $2,434 including rent). Bridgend is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Manchester pays 45% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,599 in Manchester versus $1,246 in Bridgend. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,940 in Manchester versus $1,620 in Bridgend. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Manchester. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,434 in Bridgend versus $2,614 in Manchester, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bridgend but tight or insufficient in Manchester. The gap between the two cities makes Bridgend the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Bridgend 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.