Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Dumfries Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Dumfries

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,684 in Manchester versus $1,751 in Dumfries.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,957 in Manchester versus $2,751 in Dumfries.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,230 in Manchester versus $3,751 in Dumfries.

Living in Manchester is roughly 53% more expensive than in Dumfries, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 101% above, Dumfries 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.17 £15.01

$16.50 £12.28

22.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.9 £72.1

$88.0 £65.5

10.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 £8.02

$8.06 £6.00

33.75%

Cappuccino

$5.10 £3.80

$4.02 £2.99

26.87%

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

$2.53 £1.88

$2.32 £1.73

9.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.35 £1.00

24.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.31 £5.44

$4.10 £3.06

78.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.67 £5.71

$5.13 £3.82

49.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 £1.26

$1.46 £1.09

15.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 £1.27

$1.50 £1.12

14.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 £1.68

$2.55 £1.90

-11.76%

Eggs

$4.07 £3.03

$3.66 £2.72

11.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.25 £9.12

$8.04 £5.99

52.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.42 £7.02

$10.08 £7.51

-6.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 £12.82

$15.91 £11.85

8.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$2.43 £1.81

37.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$2.31 £1.72

-22.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 £2.99

$2.36 £1.76

69.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 £3.08

$3.45 £2.56

20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.52

$2.21 £1.65

-7.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.88 £1.40

-4.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.93

$1.22 £0.91

2.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 £1.11

$1.77 £1.32

-15.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.21 £14.30

$19.37 £14.42

-0.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.00 £7.45

$10.51 £7.83

-4.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 £1.83

$3.22 £2.39

-23.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 £2.69

$2.98 £2.22

21.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 £1.97

$4.42 £3.29

-40.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$122 £90.6

$97.4 £72.5

24.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 £3.97

$5.48 £4.08

-2.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.86 £2.13

$1.52 £1.13

88.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.58 £25.00

$14.23 £10.60

135.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 £1.40

$1.97 £1.46

-4.06%

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

$38.7K £28.8K

$38.1K £28.4K

1.55%

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

$41.5K £30.9K

$40.4K £30.1K

2.77%

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

$302 £225

$235 £175

28.67%

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

$22.97 £17.10

$14.40 £10.72

59.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.39 £32.30

$47.46 £35.34

-8.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.99 £30.52

$51.7 £38.48

-20.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.62 £11.63

$27.46 £20.45

-43.12%

Cinema Ticket

$13.50 £10.05

$12.69 £9.45

6.38%

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

$1,984 £1,477

$1,589 £1,183

24.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K £15.6K

$16.5K £12.3K

27.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 £67.9

$94.8 £70.6

-3.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.23 £31.44

$58.9 £43.84

-28.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 £65.6

$130 £96.9

-32.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 £80.6

$120 £89.0

-9.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,638 £1,220

$632 £471

159.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 £935

$539 £402

132.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,747 £2,045

$1,028 £765

167.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 £1,526

$988 £736

107.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,946 £3,682

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,671 £3,478

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,154 £2,348

$3,467 £2,582

-9.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.45

8.62%

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

Last update for Manchester: July 13, 2026

Last update for Dumfries: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,638 in Manchester and $632 in Dumfries. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dumfries pays 10% 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 Dumfries for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $331 vs $309 per month, with Dumfries 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 Dumfries: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dumfries is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Dumfries. 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 $632 in Dumfries. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Dumfries – 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 $1,751 in Dumfries – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,751 in Dumfries versus $2,684 in Manchester, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Dumfries but tight or insufficient in Manchester. The gap between the two cities makes Dumfries the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dumfries 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 Dumfries gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.