Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Cardiff Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Cardiff

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,684 in Manchester versus $2,355 in Cardiff.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,957 in Manchester versus $3,357 in Cardiff.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,230 in Manchester versus $4,359 in Cardiff.

Living in Manchester is roughly 14% more expensive than in Cardiff, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 101% above, Cardiff 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.17 £15.00

$20.04 £14.90

0.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.9 £72.1

$88.4 £65.7

9.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 £8.02

$10.90 £8.11

-1.10%

Cappuccino

$5.10 £3.79

$4.85 £3.61

5.15%

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

$2.53 £1.88

$2.54 £1.89

-0.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.72 £1.28

-2.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.31 £5.43

$6.82 £5.07

7.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.67 £5.70

$6.22 £4.62

23.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 £1.26

$1.91 £1.42

-11.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 £1.27

$1.75 £1.30

-2.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 £1.68

$3.03 £2.25

-25.74%

Eggs

$4.07 £3.03

$4.63 £3.45

-12.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.25 £9.11

$10.13 £7.53

20.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.42 £7.01

$8.95 £6.66

5.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 £12.81

$9.23 £6.86

86.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 £2.49

$2.81 £2.09

19.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.65 £1.23

9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 £2.99

$3.25 £2.42

23.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 £3.08

$5.75 £4.28

-28.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.52

$1.75 £1.30

17.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.48 £1.10

21.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.93

$1.18 £0.88

5.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 £1.11

$1.74 £1.29

-14.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.21 £14.29

$19.49 £14.50

-1.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.00 £7.44

$11.10 £8.25

-9.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 £1.83

$3.18 £2.37

-22.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 £2.69

$3.49 £2.59

3.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 £1.97

$3.15 £2.35

-15.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$122 £90.5

$78.9 £58.7

54.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 £3.96

$4.03 £3.00

32.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.86 £2.12

$2.58 £1.92

10.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.58 £24.98

$20.49 £15.24

63.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 £1.40

$1.91 £1.42

-1.05%

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

$38.7K £28.8K

$38.8K £28.8K

-0.18%

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

$41.5K £30.9K

$54.4K £40.5K

-23.75%

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

$302 £225

$292 £217

3.56%

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

$22.97 £17.08

$20.13 £14.97

14.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.39 £32.27

$42.95 £31.95

1.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.99 £30.49

$39.58 £29.44

3.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.62 £11.62

$8.55 £6.36

82.69%

Cinema Ticket

$13.50 £10.04

$7.87 £5.85

71.54%

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

$1,984 £1,476

$1,991 £1,481

-0.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K £15.6K

$33.8K £25.2K

-37.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 £67.9

$69.3 £51.5

31.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.23 £31.41

$36.81 £27.38

14.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 £65.6

$74.4 £55.3

18.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 £80.5

$67.2 £49.96

61.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,638 £1,218

$1,311 £975

24.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 £934

$1,123 £836

11.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,747 £2,043

$2,558 £1,903

7.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 £1,524

$1,660 £1,235

23.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,946 £3,679

$5,509 £4,097

-10.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,671 £3,474

$3,517 £2,616

32.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,154 £2,346

$3,316 £2,466

-4.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

-1.33%

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

Last update for Manchester: July 13, 2026

Last update for Cardiff: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,638 in Manchester and $1,311 in Cardiff. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cardiff pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $97.0 in Manchester vs $88.0 in Cardiff for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $331 vs $315 per month, with Cardiff 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 Cardiff: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manchester and Cardiff differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($2,684 vs $2,355 including rent). Cardiff is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Cardiff. 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: $1,638 in Manchester versus $1,311 in Cardiff. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cardiff – a meal for two runs $88.0 versus $97.0 in Manchester. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,684 per month in Manchester versus $2,355 in Cardiff – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,355 in Cardiff versus $2,684 in Manchester, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Cardiff but tight or insufficient in Manchester. The gap between the two cities makes Cardiff 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.

Safety-wise, Manchester and Cardiff 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 Cardiff gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.