Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Colchester

For one person, living is cheaper in Colchester: $2,298 a month against $2,544 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
Learn more

Manchester Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in Colchester
Learn more

Colchester Living Index

Jump to prices

Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,544

/mo nomad

Colchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,298

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Colchester

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Manchester and in Colchester actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,544 per month in Manchester vs $2,298 in Colchester, rent included.

Manchester $2,544
Colchester $2,298

A couple spends around $3,691 per month in Manchester vs $3,409 in Colchester, rent included.

Manchester $3,691
Colchester $3,409

A family of three spends $4,839 per month in Manchester vs $4,521 in Colchester, rent included.

Manchester $4,839
Colchester $4,521

Manchester costs about 11% more than Colchester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Manchester and Colchester sit above the global median – Manchester by 88%, Colchester by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.64 £14.74

$20.69 £15.52

-5.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.7 £65.8

$92.0 £69.1

-4.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 £7.85

$10.61 £7.96

-1.32%

Cappuccino

$4.85 £3.64

$5.41 £4.06

-10.35%

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

$2.49 £1.87

$2.72 £2.04

-8.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 £1.26

$1.77 £1.33

-5.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.75 £5.81

$7.07 £5.30

9.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.72 £5.04

$6.96 £5.22

-3.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 £1.07

$1.44 £1.08

-0.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.39 £1.04

39.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.68 £1.26

11.31%

Eggs

$3.97 £2.98

$2.98 £2.23

33.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.40 £7.05

$9.21 £6.91

2.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 £6.77

$7.58 £5.69

19.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.39 £11.55

$14.47 £10.86

6.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.32

$3.15 £2.37

-1.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.19

$1.39 £1.04

13.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 £2.28

$2.79 £2.10

8.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 £2.52

$3.28 £2.46

2.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 £1.17

$1.59 £1.19

-1.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 £1.02

$1.45 £1.09

-6.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 £0.90

$1.68 £1.26

-28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 £0.95

$1.40 £1.05

-9.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.80 £17.85

$23.30 £17.48

2.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.11 £8.34

$10.73 £8.05

3.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 £1.88

$2.76 £2.07

-9.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 £2.34

$3.51 £2.64

-11.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 £2.00

$3.72 £2.79

-28.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 £77.8

$101 £75.6

2.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 £3.39

$5.77 £4.33

-21.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 £1.64

$1.35 £1.01

61.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.56 £22.18

$20.93 £15.70

41.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 £1.58

$2.04 £1.53

3.43%

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

$37.5K £28.1K

$38.1K £28.6K

-1.76%

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

$40.3K £30.2K

$39.7K £29.8K

1.41%

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

$250 £188

$252 £189

-0.55%

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

$16.38 £12.29

$24.86 £18.65

-34.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.35 £30.27

$41.54 £31.16

-2.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 £41.65

$67.8 £50.8

-18.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 £13.75

$10.75 £8.07

70.51%

Cinema Ticket

$13.11 £9.84

$21.25 £15.94

-38.31%

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

$1,240 £930

$1,061 £796

16.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K £14.6K

$20.1K £15.1K

-3.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.5 £63.4

$70.7 £53.1

19.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 £31.05

$31.15 £23.37

32.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 £68.7

$78.1 £58.6

17.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 £77.6

$49.87 £37.41

107.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 £1,371

$1,256 £943

45.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 £950

$1,027 £771

23.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,044 £2,284

$1,855 £1,392

64.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 £1,488

$1,684 £1,263

17.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,537 £3,403

$4,983 £3,739

-8.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,324 £3,244

$3,357 £2,519

28.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,329 £2,498

$3,499 £2,625

-4.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

4.91

-1.83%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 12, 2026

Last update for Colchester: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.3K 49.8%

Colchester

$1K 44.7% 18.9% $239

Eating Out

Manchester

$316 12.4%

Colchester

$330 14.3% 4.4% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$307 12.1%

Colchester

$318 13.8% 3.6% $11

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$299 11.8%

Colchester

$281 12.2% 6% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$144 5.7%

Colchester

$103 4.5% 28.4% $41

Getting Around

Manchester

$130 5.1%

Colchester

$128 5.6% 1.3% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$82 3.2%

Colchester

$110 4.8% 34.9% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,827 in Manchester versus $1,256 in Colchester. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 5% higher in Colchester, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in Manchester versus $92.0 in Colchester. Groceries tell a different story – $299 in Manchester vs $281 in Colchester – so Colchester wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Colchester

🕒 Local time

05:26 5:26 AM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

190,098

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manchester Colchester 280 km

From you

Manchester
Colchester

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Colchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,544 in Manchester, $2,298 in Colchester – roughly 11% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,816 per month in Manchester and $3,447 in Colchester. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Colchester, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Colchester. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,240 per month in Manchester and $1,061 in Colchester. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Colchester, where all-in costs run around $2,298, than in Manchester at $2,544. In Colchester it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manchester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Manchester has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,298 in Colchester to $2,544 in Manchester. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Colchester. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manchester makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.