Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Farnborough Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Farnborough

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,563 in Manchester versus $2,329 in Farnborough.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,739 in Manchester versus $3,586 in Farnborough.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,915 in Manchester versus $4,842 in Farnborough.

Living in Manchester is roughly 10% more expensive than in Farnborough, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 91% above, Farnborough 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.48 £14.74

$19.35 £14.65

0.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.9 £65.7

$87.3 £66.1

-0.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 £8.00

$9.42 £7.13

12.21%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.62

$4.42 £3.34

8.14%

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

$2.52 £1.91

$2.68 £2.03

-5.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 £1.21

$2.08 £1.58

-23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 £5.96

$7.45 £5.64

5.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 £5.09

$6.59 £4.99

2.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 £1.12

$1.42 £1.07

4.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 £1.47

$1.58 £1.19

23.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 £1.46

$3.63 £2.74

-46.83%

Eggs

$3.99 £3.02

$3.37 £2.55

18.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 £7.22

$8.71 £6.59

9.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.95 £6.78

$7.98 £6.04

12.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.26 £11.55

$12.98 £9.82

17.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 £2.30

$1.67 £1.27

82.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.20

$1.83 £1.39

-13.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 £2.28

$2.89 £2.18

4.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 £2.63

$2.99 £2.26

16.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 £1.13

$1.59 £1.20

-6.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 £0.98

$1.65 £1.25

-21.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 £0.91

$0.98 £0.74

23.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 £0.96

$0.55 £0.42

130.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.04 £17.44

$22.63 £17.13

1.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.84 £8.20

$11.44 £8.66

-5.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 £1.83

$2.59 £1.96

-6.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 £2.29

$2.16 £1.63

40.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 £1.95

$2.68 £2.03

-4.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 £78.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.49 £3.40

$3.13 £2.37

43.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 £1.57

$1.60 £1.21

30.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 £22.49

$12.04 £9.11

146.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 £1.60

$1.88 £1.43

12.23%

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

$38.8K £29.4K

$37.7K £28.5K

2.98%

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

$40.2K £30.4K

0.05%

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

$243 £184

$158 £119

54.31%

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

$16.52 £12.50

$14.99 £11.34

10.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.77 £30.10

$42.07 £31.84

-5.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 £42.80

$57.5 £43.49

-1.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.03 £13.65

$23.87 £18.07

-24.47%

Cinema Ticket

$13.05 £9.88

$9.39 £7.11

38.98%

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

$1,246 £943

$1,273 £963

-2.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K £15.1K

$20.0K £15.1K

-0.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.4 £63.1

$91.1 £69.0

-8.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.34 £32.04

$38.90 £29.44

8.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 £71.4

$99.9 £75.6

-5.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 £77.9

$119 £89.8

-13.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,832 £1,386

$1,674 £1,267

9.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 £937

$1,283 £971

-3.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,095 £2,343

$2,425 £1,836

27.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 £1,518

$2,420 £1,831

-17.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,607 £3,486

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,481 £3,391

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,438 £2,602

$4,081 £3,088

-15.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

5.16

-6.59%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 5, 2026

Last update for Farnborough: October 4, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,832 in Manchester and $1,674 in Farnborough. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Farnborough pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $87.0 in Manchester vs $87.0 in Farnborough. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $268, with Farnborough 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 Farnborough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manchester and Farnborough differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,563 vs $2,329 including rent). Farnborough is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Farnborough. 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: $1,832 in Manchester versus $1,674 in Farnborough. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,246 in Manchester versus $1,273 in Farnborough. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Farnborough – a meal for two runs $87.0 versus $87.0 in Manchester. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,329 in Farnborough versus $2,563 in Manchester, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Farnborough but tight or insufficient in Manchester. The gap between the two cities makes Farnborough 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.

Expats usually find Farnborough gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.