Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Dunfermline Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Dunfermline

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,651 in Manchester versus $1,988 in Dunfermline.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,871 in Manchester versus $2,861 in Dunfermline.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,091 in Manchester versus $3,734 in Dunfermline.

Living in Manchester is roughly 33% more expensive than Dunfermline, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 98% above, Dunfermline 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.74 £15.45

$20.67 £15.40

0.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.5 £70.4

$88.2 £65.7

7.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.01

$9.71 £7.23

10.71%

Cappuccino

$4.94 £3.68

$4.53 £3.38

9.05%

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

$2.59 £1.93

$2.29 £1.70

13.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.33 £0.99

27.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 £5.52

$4.66 £3.47

59.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.52 £5.60

$4.10 £3.06

83.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 £1.21

$2.04 £1.52

-20.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.45 £1.08

24.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 £1.61

$2.08 £1.55

3.85%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.04

$3.97 £2.96

2.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 £8.97

$8.04 £5.99

49.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 £7.26

$7.35 £5.47

32.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.39 £12.96

$10.20 £7.60

70.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 £2.46

$2.82 £2.10

17.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 £1.37

$1.25 £0.93

47.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 £2.84

$2.68 £2.00

42.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 £3.24

$4.58 £3.41

-5.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 £1.56

$1.15 £0.86

82.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.27 £0.95

41.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 £0.97

$1.25 £0.93

4.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.64 £1.22

-10.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.73 £13.95

$18.93 £14.11

-1.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 £7.93

$11.40 £8.49

-6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 £1.91

$2.28 £1.70

12.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 £2.60

$2.52 £1.87

38.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 £2.05

$3.19 £2.38

-13.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 £90.3

$80.1 £59.7

51.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 £4.09

$4.70 £3.50

16.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 £2.12

$1.87 £1.40

52.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.28 £25.54

$20.49 £15.27

67.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.98 £1.47

-1.01%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$35.8K £26.6K

5.64%

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

$41.8K £31.1K

$36.4K £27.1K

14.78%

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

$295 £220

$238 £177

24.15%

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

$22.44 £16.72

$14.44 £10.76

55.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.92 £31.97

$46.02 £34.28

-6.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.39 £31.58

$38.01 £28.32

11.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.07 £11.97

$12.26 £9.13

31.08%

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 £10.22

$12.67 £9.44

8.29%

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

$1,944 £1,448

$1,447 £1,078

34.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K £15.5K

$19.5K £14.5K

6.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 £67.5

$54.2 £40.37

67.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.85 £31.18

$54.8 £40.84

-23.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 £66.6

$96.6 £72.0

-7.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.1

$108 £80.8

-2.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 £1,220

$1,106 £824

48.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 £936

$816 £608

53.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,702 £2,013

$1,216 £906

122.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 £1,547

$1,161 £865

78.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,107 £3,805

$2,037 £1,517

150.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,671 £3,480

$2,709 £2,018

72.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,247 £2,419

$2,945 £2,194

10.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.72

3.50%

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

Last update for Manchester: May 31, 2026

Last update for Dunfermline: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,637 in Manchester and $1,106 in Dunfermline. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manchester pays 10% 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: $94.0 in Manchester vs $88.0 in Dunfermline for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $276 per month, with Dunfermline 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 Dunfermline: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dunfermline wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Manchester. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dunfermline the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Manchester pays 10% more on average, 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: $1,637 in Manchester versus $1,106 in Dunfermline. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dunfermline runs roughly 51% less than in Manchester. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,944 in Manchester versus $1,447 in Dunfermline. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,988 in Dunfermline versus $2,651 in Manchester, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dunfermline but tight or insufficient in Manchester. The gap between the two cities makes Dunfermline the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dunfermline delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,988 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dunfermline hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Manchester and Dunfermline 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 Dunfermline gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.