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: $2,573 in Manchester versus $3,003 in Crawley.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,790 in Manchester versus $4,246 in Crawley.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,008 in Manchester versus $5,490 in Crawley.

Living in Manchester costs roughly 14% less than in Crawley, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 88% above, Crawley 120% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.21 £15.13

$19.71 £14.75

2.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.7 £70.9

$66.7 £49.91

42.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.05

$10.53 £7.88

2.09%

Cappuccino

$4.74 £3.55

$5.02 £3.76

-5.58%

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

$2.55 £1.91

$2.43 £1.82

4.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 £1.25

$1.99 £1.49

-16.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 £5.92

$6.15 £4.61

28.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 £5.09

$5.98 £4.48

13.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 £1.14

$1.39 £1.04

9.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 £1.44

$1.28 £0.96

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 £1.49

$1.03 £0.77

93.20%

Eggs

$3.80 £2.85

$3.48 £2.61

9.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.14 £6.85

$11.56 £8.65

-20.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.16 £6.86

$8.45 £6.33

8.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.93 £11.92

$13.30 £9.95

19.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 £2.45

$3.46 £2.59

-5.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.88 £1.41

-18.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 £2.18

$3.04 £2.27

-4.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.52 £2.64

$2.04 £1.53

72.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 £1.13

$1.61 £1.21

-6.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.33 £1.00

3.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 £0.96

$1.23 £0.92

4.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 £0.97

$1.53 £1.15

-15.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.77 £17.80

$22.71 £17.00

4.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 £8.39

$9.44 £7.07

18.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 £1.95

$2.06 £1.55

26.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 £2.42

$2.19 £1.64

47.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 £1.98

$4.07 £3.04

-34.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 £81.5

$154 £115

-29.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 £3.35

$5.26 £3.94

-15.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 £1.67

$1.64 £1.22

35.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.87 £23.12

$20.28 £15.18

52.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 £1.58

$1.87 £1.40

12.83%

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

$39.6K £29.6K

$39.7K £29.7K

-0.29%

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

$40.6K £30.4K

$37.5K £28.1K

8.22%

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

$294 £220

$514 £385

-42.84%

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

$16.69 £12.50

$15.28 £11.44

9.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.09 £30.02

$42.78 £32.03

-6.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 £40.84

$59.2 £44.28

-7.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.12 £13.56

Cinema Ticket

$13.38 £10.02

$10.74 £8.04

24.58%

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

$1,275 £954

$1,921 £1,438

-33.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.3K £15.2K

$7,961 £5,961

154.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.9 £63.6

$91.0 £68.1

-6.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.46 £31.79

$40.45 £30.28

4.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 £71.5

$103 £77.2

-7.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 £79.9

$124 £92.6

-13.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,809 £1,354

$1,732 £1,296

4.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 £947

$1,400 £1,048

-9.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,122 £2,338

$2,716 £2,033

14.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 £1,488

$2,430 £1,820

-18.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,695 £3,515

$6,336 £4,744

-25.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,509 £3,376

$5,953 £4,457

-24.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,436 £2,572

$3,307 £2,476

3.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

5.64

-13.65%

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

Last update for Manchester: September 12, 2026

Last update for Crawley: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,809 in Manchester and $1,732 in Crawley. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manchester pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $95.0 in Manchester vs $67.0 in Crawley for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $277 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 17% 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.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Manchester, 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: $1,809 in Manchester versus $1,732 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 $67.0 in Crawley. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,573 per month in Manchester versus $3,003 in Crawley – a 17% 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 $2,573 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 17% less than in Crawley. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.