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: $2,637 in Manchester versus $2,084 in Dunfermline.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,830 in Manchester versus $3,100 in Dunfermline.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,024 in Manchester versus $4,117 in Dunfermline.

Living in Manchester is roughly 27% more expensive than in Dunfermline, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 91% above, Dunfermline 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.56 £15.22

$20.06 £14.85

2.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.0 £69.6

$81.6 £60.4

15.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 £8.17

$9.21 £6.81

19.76%

Cappuccino

$4.82 £3.57

$4.41 £3.27

9.30%

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

$2.53 £1.87

$2.64 £1.95

-4.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.28

$1.41 £1.04

22.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 £6.06

$5.59 £4.14

46.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 £5.06

$6.17 £4.57

10.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.96 £1.45

-26.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 £1.36

$1.25 £0.93

47.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 £1.43

$2.48 £1.84

-22.18%

Eggs

$3.99 £2.96

$4.20 £3.11

-5.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.53 £7.05

$7.75 £5.74

22.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 £6.63

$8.70 £6.44

2.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.76 £11.67

$10.33 £7.64

52.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 £2.38

$2.42 £1.79

32.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 £1.20

$1.33 £0.98

21.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 £2.23

$2.83 £2.09

6.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 £2.53

$2.78 £2.06

23.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 £1.11

$1.14 £0.84

31.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 £0.99

$1.32 £0.98

0.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 £0.95

$1.21 £0.89

6.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 £0.96

$1.66 £1.23

-21.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.36 £18.03

$23.68 £17.53

2.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.05

$11.26 £8.34

-3.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 £1.82

$2.26 £1.67

8.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 £2.28

$2.53 £1.87

21.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £1.99

$3.33 £2.46

-19.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 £80.5

$79.9 £59.1

36.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.64 £3.43

$4.73 £3.50

-1.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 £1.60

$3.82 £2.83

-43.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.39 £22.49

$20.02 £14.82

51.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 £1.55

$1.97 £1.46

6.09%

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

$39.5K £29.2K

$39.0K £28.9K

1.30%

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

$41.6K £30.8K

$39.6K £29.3K

5.08%

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

$292 £216

$244 £180

20.09%

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

$16.65 £12.32

$13.32 £9.86

25.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.66 £29.36

$43.35 £32.09

-8.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 £40.21

$50.3 £37.21

8.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.86 £13.96

$12.36 £9.15

52.59%

Cinema Ticket

$13.54 £10.02

$13.70 £10.14

-1.17%

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

$1,309 £969

$1,438 £1,065

-8.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K £14.8K

$19.2K £14.2K

4.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 £65.2

$54.6 £40.42

61.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.59 £30.79

$54.8 £40.52

-24.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 £70.6

$106 £78.1

-9.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 £78.9

$88.8 £65.7

19.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,816 £1,344

$1,019 £755

78.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 £958

$882 £653

46.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,067 £2,270

$1,278 £946

139.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 £1,495

$1,416 £1,048

42.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,729 £3,500

$2,126 £1,573

122.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,465 £3,305

$2,721 £2,014

64.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,446 £2,551

$3,015 £2,232

14.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

5.4

-9.81%

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

Last update for Manchester: September 6, 2026

Last update for Dunfermline: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,816 in Manchester and $1,019 in Dunfermline. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manchester pays 14% 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 $82.0 in Dunfermline for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $272 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 27% 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.

Average pay runs 14% 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: $1,816 in Manchester versus $1,019 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 36% less than in Manchester. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,309 in Manchester versus $1,438 in Dunfermline. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,084 in Dunfermline versus $2,637 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 $2,084 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 27% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.