Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Bristol Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Bristol

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,651 in Manchester versus $2,879 in Bristol.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,871 in Manchester versus $4,130 in Bristol.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,091 in Manchester versus $5,380 in Bristol.

Living in Manchester costs roughly 8% less than in Bristol, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 98% above, Bristol 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.74 £15.45

$20.34 £15.15

1.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.5 £70.4

$104 £77.3

-9.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.00

Cappuccino

$4.94 £3.68

$5.14 £3.83

-3.89%

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

$2.59 £1.93

$2.70 £2.01

-4.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.73 £1.29

-1.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 £5.52

$7.94 £5.92

-6.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.52 £5.60

$6.80 £5.07

10.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.56 £1.16

3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 £1.34

$2.35 £1.75

-23.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 £1.61

$1.87 £1.39

15.51%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.04

$4.18 £3.11

-2.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 £8.97

$12.30 £9.16

-2.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 £7.26

$11.36 £8.46

-14.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.39 £12.95

$12.15 £9.05

43.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 £2.46

$3.39 £2.52

-2.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 £1.37

$1.64 £1.22

12.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 £2.84

$2.73 £2.03

39.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 £3.24

$3.98 £2.97

9.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 £1.56

$2.04 £1.52

2.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.78 £1.32

1.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 £0.97

$1.20 £0.89

9.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.86 £1.39

-20.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.73 £13.95

$20.50 £15.27

-8.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 £7.92

$10.83 £8.07

-1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 £1.91

$2.98 £2.22

-13.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 £2.60

$2.70 £2.01

29.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 £2.05

$3.11 £2.32

-11.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 £90.3

$115 £85.5

5.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 £4.09

$5.58 £4.15

-1.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 £2.12

$1.69 £1.26

68.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.28 £25.53

$27.71 £20.64

23.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.90 £1.42

3.16%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$38.2K £28.5K

-1.13%

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

$41.8K £31.1K

$35.3K £26.3K

18.33%

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

$295 £220

$301 £224

-2.05%

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

$22.44 £16.71

$16.75 £12.48

33.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.92 £31.96

$45.52 £33.90

-5.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.39 £31.57

$49.81 £37.10

-14.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.07 £11.97

$10.12 £7.54

58.79%

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 £10.22

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

$1,944 £1,448

$2,193 £1,633

-11.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K £15.5K

$24.2K £18.0K

-13.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 £67.5

$95.6 £71.2

-5.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.85 £31.17

$48.61 £36.20

-13.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 £66.6

$112 £83.5

-20.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.0

$138 £103

-23.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 £1,219

$1,852 £1,379

-11.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 £936

$1,391 £1,036

-9.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,702 £2,013

$3,094 £2,305

-12.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 £1,547

$2,285 £1,702

-9.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,107 £3,804

$6,918 £5,153

-26.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,671 £3,479

$5,209 £3,880

-10.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,247 £2,418

$3,777 £2,813

-14.03%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bristol: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,637 in Manchester and $1,852 in Bristol. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bristol pays 16% 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: $94.0 in Manchester vs $104 in Bristol. Groceries flip the comparison at $335 vs $330, with Bristol cheaper for home cooking.

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 Bristol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manchester and Bristol differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,651 vs $2,879 including rent). Manchester is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bristol earns 16% 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 $1,852 in Bristol. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Bristol pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Manchester – a meal for two runs $94.0 versus $104 in Bristol. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Manchester is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Safety-wise, Manchester and Bristol 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 Manchester gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Bristol. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.