Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Dundee Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Dundee

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,597 in Manchester versus $2,137 in Dundee.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,791 in Manchester versus $3,165 in Dundee.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,985 in Manchester versus $4,193 in Dundee.

Living in Manchester is roughly 22% more expensive than in Dundee, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 89% above, Dundee 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.25 £14.98

$21.94 £16.23

-7.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.3 £70.5

$80.4 £59.5

18.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 £7.93

$10.82 £8.01

-0.92%

Cappuccino

$4.86 £3.60

$4.51 £3.33

7.76%

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

$2.69 £1.99

$2.65 £1.96

1.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 £1.30

$1.40 £1.04

25.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 £5.98

$5.84 £4.32

38.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 £5.15

$6.11 £4.52

14.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 £1.11

$2.19 £1.62

-31.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 £1.43

$1.73 £1.28

11.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 £1.49

$2.84 £2.10

-29.23%

Eggs

$3.84 £2.84

$5.56 £4.11

-30.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.26 £6.85

$7.76 £5.74

19.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.80 £6.51

$9.78 £7.23

-10.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.51 £12.21

$15.62 £11.55

5.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 £2.30

$2.53 £1.87

22.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 £1.14

$2.26 £1.67

-31.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 £2.23

$2.91 £2.16

3.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 £2.60

$2.84 £2.10

23.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 £1.11

$3.24 £2.40

-53.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 £0.98

$2.10 £1.55

-37.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 £0.96

$1.81 £1.34

-28.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 £0.91

$2.37 £1.76

-48.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.43 £18.08

$23.60 £17.46

3.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 £8.11

$12.02 £8.89

-8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 £1.83

$3.38 £2.50

-26.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 £2.42

$3.38 £2.50

-3.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 £1.97

$3.42 £2.53

-22.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 £78.7

$58.9 £43.58

80.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 £3.33

$4.71 £3.48

-4.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 £1.65

$3.88 £2.87

-42.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.69 £22.70

$26.81 £19.83

14.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 £1.55

$1.93 £1.43

8.29%

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

$39.8K £29.4K

$38.7K £28.6K

2.84%

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

$40.8K £30.2K

$41.3K £30.6K

-1.37%

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

$304 £225

$245 £181

24.06%

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

$16.90 £12.50

$13.30 £9.84

27.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.38 £29.87

$43.43 £32.13

-7.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 £40.76

$51.1 £37.83

7.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.59 £13.75

$7.24 £5.36

156.77%

Cinema Ticket

$13.65 £10.10

$13.64 £10.09

0.07%

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

$1,287 £952

$2,016 £1,491

-36.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K £15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.8 £69.4

$101 £75.0

-7.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.08 £31.87

$58.0 £42.93

-25.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.4 £72.8

$125 £92.4

-21.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 £80.2

$89.4 £66.1

21.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,833 £1,356

$1,053 £779

74.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 £939

$835 £618

51.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,134 £2,319

$1,681 £1,244

86.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 £1,501

$1,288 £953

57.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,007 £3,704

$4,176 £3,090

19.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,739 £3,506

$3,331 £2,464

42.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,318 £2,455

$3,321 £2,457

-0.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.13

5.41

-5.18%

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

Last update for Manchester: August 31, 2026

Last update for Dundee: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,833 in Manchester and $1,053 in Dundee. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dundee pays 0% 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 $80.0 in Dundee. Groceries flip the comparison at $301 vs $341, with Manchester cheaper for home cooking.

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 Dundee: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manchester and Dundee differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($2,597 vs $2,137 including rent). Dundee is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 0% lower in Dundee. 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: $1,833 in Manchester versus $1,053 in Dundee. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dundee runs roughly 81% less than in Manchester. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,287 in Manchester versus $2,016 in Dundee. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,137 in Dundee versus $2,597 in Manchester, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dundee but tight or insufficient in Manchester. The gap between the two cities makes Dundee 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 Dundee 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 Dundee gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.