Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Buckingham Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Buckingham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,651 in Manchester versus $2,247 in Buckingham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,871 in Manchester versus $3,448 in Buckingham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,091 in Manchester versus $4,650 in Buckingham.

Living in Manchester is roughly 18% more expensive than Buckingham, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 98% above, Buckingham 68% 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

$82.4 £61.4

14.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.01

$11.02 £8.21

-2.45%

Cappuccino

$4.94 £3.68

$4.75 £3.54

4.00%

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

$2.59 £1.93

$1.91 £1.42

35.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.39 £1.03

22.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 £5.52

$5.45 £4.06

35.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.52 £5.60

$5.32 £3.96

41.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.15 £0.86

40.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.54 £1.15

16.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 £1.61

$2.11 £1.57

2.37%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.04

$4.28 £3.19

-4.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 £8.97

$10.11 £7.53

19.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 £7.26

$7.29 £5.43

33.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.39 £12.96

$15.33 £11.42

13.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 £2.46

$3.26 £2.43

1.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 £1.37

$1.72 £1.28

6.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 £2.84

$2.91 £2.17

31.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 £3.24

$2.51 £1.87

73.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 £1.56

$0.91 £0.68

130.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.67 £1.25

7.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 £0.97

$1.08 £0.80

21.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.59 £1.19

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.73 £13.95

$16.04 £11.95

16.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 £7.93

$10.74 £8.00

-0.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 £1.91

$2.63 £1.96

-2.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 £2.60

$2.00 £1.49

74.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 £2.05

$2.76 £2.05

-0.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 £90.3

$88.4 £65.9

37.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 £4.09

$4.00 £2.98

37.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 £2.12

$1.35 £1.01

111.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.28 £25.54

$25.97 £19.35

32.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.97 £1.46

-0.51%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$39.1K £29.1K

-3.41%

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

$41.8K £31.1K

$41.9K £31.2K

-0.27%

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

$295 £220

$263 £196

12.10%

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

$22.44 £16.72

$17.15 £12.77

30.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.92 £31.97

$35.65 £26.56

20.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.39 £31.58

$13.67 £10.18

210.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.07 £11.97

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 £10.22

$12.19 £9.09

12.55%

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

$1,944 £1,448

$1,410 £1,050

37.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K £15.5K

$13.8K £10.3K

51.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 £67.5

$74.2 £55.3

22.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.85 £31.18

$36.12 £26.91

15.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 £66.6

$70.5 £52.5

26.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.1

$92.1 £68.6

15.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 £1,220

$1,470 £1,095

11.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 £936

$1,051 £783

19.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,702 £2,013

$3,406 £2,538

-20.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 £1,547

$2,043 £1,522

1.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,107 £3,805

$4,938 £3,679

3.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,671 £3,480

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,247 £2,419

$4,608 £3,433

-29.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.79

2.25%

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

Last update for Manchester: May 31, 2026

Last update for Buckingham: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,637 in Manchester and $1,470 in Buckingham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buckingham pays 42% 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 $82.0 in Buckingham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $284 per month, with Buckingham 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 Buckingham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manchester and Buckingham differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($2,651 vs $2,247 including rent). Buckingham is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Buckingham earns 42% 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 $1,470 in Buckingham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,651 per month in Manchester versus $2,247 in Buckingham – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Buckingham runs roughly 37% less than in Manchester. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,247 in Buckingham versus $2,651 in Manchester, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buckingham but tight or insufficient in Manchester. The gap between the two cities makes Buckingham 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 Buckingham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.