Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Ely, Cambridgeshire

For one person, living is cheaper in Ely, Cambridgeshire: $2,366 a month against $2,499 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Manchester outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

121

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Ely, Cambridgeshire
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Ely, Cambridgeshire Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Ely, Cambridgeshire

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,366

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Ely, Cambridgeshire

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Manchester and in Ely, Cambridgeshire actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,499 per month in Manchester vs $2,366 in Ely, Cambridgeshire, rent included.

Manchester $2,499
Ely, Cambridgeshire $2,366

A couple spends around $3,623 per month in Manchester vs $3,574 in Ely, Cambridgeshire, rent included.

Manchester $3,623
Ely, Cambridgeshire $3,574

A family of three spends $4,747 per month in Manchester vs $4,782 in Ely, Cambridgeshire, rent included.

Manchester $4,747
Ely, Cambridgeshire $4,782

Manchester costs about 6% more than Ely, Cambridgeshire, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Manchester and Ely, Cambridgeshire sit above the global median – Manchester by 84%, Ely, Cambridgeshire by 74%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 £15.22

$24.41 £18.37

-17.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.0 £64.7

$94.5 £71.2

-9.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.74 £8.08

$13.42 £10.10

-19.97%

Cappuccino

$4.68 £3.52

$5.30 £3.99

-11.70%

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

$2.44 £1.84

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 £1.22

$1.78 £1.34

-8.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 £5.85

$5.25 £3.95

48.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 £5.04

$3.40 £2.56

97.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 £1.13

$1.20 £0.90

25.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 £1.42

$1.63 £1.23

15.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 £1.46

$2.64 £1.98

-26.52%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.07

$3.57 £2.69

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 £7.23

$10.53 £7.93

-8.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 £6.76

$11.26 £8.47

-20.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 £11.60

$17.01 £12.80

-9.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.33

$4.01 £3.02

-22.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.19

$1.36 £1.02

16.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 £2.22

$2.55 £1.92

15.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 £2.52

$4.23 £3.18

-20.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 £1.14

$1.58 £1.19

-4.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 £1.01

$1.57 £1.18

-14.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.95

$1.16 £0.87

8.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 £0.93

$1.50 £1.13

-18.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.05 £18.10

$21.48 £16.17

11.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.19

$10.47 £7.88

3.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 £1.83

$2.10 £1.58

15.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.38

$2.92 £2.20

8.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 £2.06

$5.78 £4.35

-52.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 £81.2

$57.0 £42.87

89.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 £3.40

$4.26 £3.21

6.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 £1.67

$2.26 £1.70

-1.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.82 £23.20

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.61

$2.09 £1.57

2.39%

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

$38.5K £28.9K

$40.3K £30.3K

-4.55%

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

$40.0K £30.1K

$41.3K £31.1K

-3.13%

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

$252 £190

$277 £208

-8.79%

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

$16.23 £12.21

$16.37 £12.32

-0.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.58 £29.79

$32.76 £24.65

20.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.67 £32.12

$43.33 £32.61

-1.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.05 £13.59

$15.99 £12.04

12.88%

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 £10.12

$16.06 £12.09

-16.31%

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

$1,494 £1,125

$1,727 £1,300

-13.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K £14.8K

$14.6K £11.0K

34.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 £62.9

$97.9 £73.7

-14.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.97 £32.34

$55.6 £41.84

-22.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 £71.5

$122 £92.1

-22.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.7

$103 £77.8

2.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,785 £1,344

$1,162 £875

53.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 £920

$1,030 £775

18.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,930 £2,205

$1,876 £1,412

56.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 £1,429

$1,763 £1,327

7.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,668 £3,513

$5,761 £4,335

-18.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,397 £3,309

$5,185 £3,902

-15.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,395 £2,555

$3,306 £2,488

2.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

4.62

4.33%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ely, Cambridgeshire: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.2K 48.9%

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$1K 43.5% 15.7% $192

Eating Out

Manchester

$319 12.8%

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$349 14.8% 9.5% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$308 12.3%

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$326 13.8% 5.7% $18

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$299 12%

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$319 13.5% 7% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$147 5.9%

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$171 7.2% 15.8% $23

Getting Around

Manchester

$134 5.4%

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$96 4% 28.8% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$70 2.8%

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$75 3.2% 8.5% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,785 in Manchester versus $1,162 in Ely, Cambridgeshire. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Manchester, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Manchester versus $95 in Ely, Cambridgeshire. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $299 vs $319 – making Manchester the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Ely, Cambridgeshire

🕒 Local time

21:35 9:35 PM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

20,574

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Manchester Ely, Cambridgeshire 210 km

From you

Manchester
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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 Ely, Cambridgeshire: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manchester is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,749 per month in Manchester and $3,549 in Ely, Cambridgeshire. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ely, Cambridgeshire, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,162 there versus $1,785 in Manchester.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,499 in Manchester and $2,366 in Ely, Cambridgeshire. That makes Ely, Cambridgeshire about 5% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 47% less in Ely, Cambridgeshire. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

It depends on your priorities. Manchester has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,366 in Ely, Cambridgeshire to $2,499 in Manchester. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Ely, Cambridgeshire. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manchester makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.