Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Burnley Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Burnley

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,651 in Manchester versus $1,804 in Burnley.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,871 in Manchester versus $2,850 in Burnley.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,091 in Manchester versus $3,895 in Burnley.

Living in Manchester is roughly 47% more expensive than Burnley, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 98% above, Burnley 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.74 £15.45

$20.30 £15.12

2.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.5 £70.4

$80.9 £60.3

16.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.01

$8.65 £6.44

24.28%

Cappuccino

$4.94 £3.68

$4.10 £3.05

20.49%

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

$2.59 £1.93

$2.27 £1.69

14.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.61 £1.20

5.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 £5.52

$3.48 £2.59

112.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.52 £5.60

$5.54 £4.13

35.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.57 £1.17

3.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.66 £1.24

8.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 £1.61

$1.61 £1.20

34.16%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.04

$3.54 £2.64

15.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 £8.97

$8.07 £6.01

49.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 £7.26

$8.32 £6.20

17.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.39 £12.96

$13.70 £10.21

26.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 £2.46

$2.43 £1.81

35.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 £1.37

$1.38 £1.02

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 £2.84

$1.66 £1.24

130.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 £3.24

$2.69 £2.00

61.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 £1.56

$1.72 £1.28

22.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.59 £1.19

13.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 £0.97

$1.33 £0.99

-1.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.19 £0.88

23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.73 £13.95

$17.22 £12.83

8.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 £7.93

$10.96 £8.17

-2.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 £1.91

$2.82 £2.10

-8.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 £2.60

$1.89 £1.41

84.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 £2.05

$2.85 £2.12

-3.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 £90.3

$107 £79.9

13.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 £4.09

$3.34 £2.49

64.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 £2.12

$1.11 £0.83

156.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.28 £25.54

$16.48 £12.28

108.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.94 £1.45

1.03%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$38.1K £28.4K

-0.99%

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

$41.8K £31.1K

$40.7K £30.4K

2.58%

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

$295 £220

$275 £205

7.11%

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

$22.44 £16.72

$17.28 £12.88

29.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.92 £31.97

$43.64 £32.51

-1.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.39 £31.58

$45.84 £34.15

-7.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.07 £11.97

$16.93 £12.61

-5.08%

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 £10.22

$7.86 £5.85

74.55%

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

$1,944 £1,448

$1,565 £1,166

24.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K £15.5K

$6,898 £5,139

201.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 £67.5

$79.9 £59.5

13.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.85 £31.18

$43.20 £32.18

-3.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 £66.6

$86.3 £64.3

3.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.1

$72.5 £54.0

46.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 £1,220

$768 £572

113.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 £936

$639 £476

96.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,702 £2,013

$1,498 £1,116

80.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 £1,547

$1,264 £942

64.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,107 £3,805

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,671 £3,480

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,247 £2,419

$3,187 £2,374

1.88%

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 Burnley: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,637 in Manchester and $768 in Burnley. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manchester pays 2% 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 $81.0 in Burnley for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $268 per month, with Burnley 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 Burnley: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burnley is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Manchester pays 2% 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: $1,637 in Manchester versus $768 in Burnley. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Burnley – a meal for two runs $81.0 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 $1,804 in Burnley – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,804 in Burnley versus $2,651 in Manchester, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Burnley but tight or insufficient in Manchester. The gap between the two cities makes Burnley the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Burnley 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.

Expats usually find Burnley gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.