Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Crawley Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Crawley

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,671 in Manchester versus $2,727 in Crawley.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,874 in Manchester versus $4,119 in Crawley.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,077 in Manchester versus $5,511 in Crawley.

Living in Manchester costs roughly 2% less than in Crawley, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 100% above, Crawley 105% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 £15.69

$20.42 £15.47

1.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.4 £72.2

$80.1 £60.7

19.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.00 £8.33

$9.18 £6.96

19.83%

Cappuccino

$4.89 £3.71

$4.60 £3.48

6.30%

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

$2.54 £1.93

$2.20 £1.67

15.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 £1.32

$1.38 £1.04

26.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.63 £5.78

$5.80 £4.40

31.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.34 £5.56

$5.96 £4.51

23.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 £1.29

$1.33 £1.01

27.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.31

$1.48 £1.12

16.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 £1.70

$2.89 £2.19

-22.15%

Eggs

$4.02 £3.04

$3.24 £2.45

24.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.29 £9.31

$6.78 £5.14

81.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.46 £7.16

$7.19 £5.45

31.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.95 £12.84

$15.53 £11.76

9.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 £2.44

$4.17 £3.16

-22.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 £1.35

$2.28 £1.73

-21.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.86 £2.92

$3.01 £2.28

28.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 £3.13

$4.70 £3.56

-12.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 £1.60

$1.23 £0.93

72.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 £1.39

$1.65 £1.25

11.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.95

$0.52 £0.40

140.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 £1.07

$1.66 £1.25

-14.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.93 £14.34

$16.57 £12.56

14.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.58 £8.02

$9.27 £7.02

14.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 £1.95

$2.27 £1.72

13.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 £2.72

$1.80 £1.36

99.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 £2.08

$3.58 £2.71

-23.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$124 £93.6

$130 £98.7

-5.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 £4.00

$4.52 £3.42

16.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.92 £2.21

$1.70 £1.29

71.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.80 £25.60

$16.55 £12.54

104.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.47

$1.97 £1.49

-1.02%

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

$38.1K £28.9K

$38.3K £29.0K

-0.38%

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

$41.3K £31.3K

$40.0K £30.3K

3.37%

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

$296 £224

$458 £347

-35.34%

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

$22.77 £17.25

$15.41 £11.67

47.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.75 £32.38

$41.41 £31.37

3.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.69 £31.58

$56.8 £43.04

-26.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.56 £11.79

$9.37 £7.10

66.06%

Cinema Ticket

$13.48 £10.21

$10.72 £8.12

25.75%

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

$1,947 £1,475

$1,294 £981

50.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K £16.1K

$8,092 £6,130

162.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 £69.2

$67.1 £50.8

36.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.92 £31.75

$40.99 £31.05

2.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 £68.1

$73.5 £55.6

22.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 £80.8

$136 £103

-21.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 £1,209

$1,648 £1,248

-3.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,250 £947

$1,275 £965

-1.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 £2,019

$2,713 £2,055

-1.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,079 £1,575

$2,481 £1,880

-16.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,010 £3,795

$6,194 £4,692

-19.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,644 £3,518

$5,940 £4,500

-21.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,196 £2,421

$3,282 £2,486

-2.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.9

0.34%

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

Last update for Manchester: June 14, 2026

Last update for Crawley: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,596 in Manchester and $1,648 in Crawley. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Crawley pays 3% 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: $95.0 in Manchester vs $80.0 in Crawley for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $331 vs $288 per month, with Crawley 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 Crawley: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manchester wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Crawley. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Manchester the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Crawley. 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: $1,596 in Manchester versus $1,648 in Crawley. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Manchester – a meal for two runs $95.0 versus $80.0 in Crawley. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,671 per month in Manchester versus $2,727 in Crawley – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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 work as nomad bases, but Manchester delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,671 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Manchester hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Manchester and Crawley 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 2% less than in Crawley. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.