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: $2,573 in Manchester versus $2,406 in Farnborough.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,790 in Manchester versus $3,703 in Farnborough.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,008 in Manchester versus $5,001 in Farnborough.

Living in Manchester is roughly 7% more expensive than in Farnborough, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 88% above, Farnborough 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.21 £15.09

$19.61 £14.64

3.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.7 £70.7

$89.4 £66.8

5.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.02

$9.32 £6.96

15.34%

Cappuccino

$4.74 £3.54

$4.51 £3.37

5.10%

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

$2.55 £1.91

$2.80 £2.09

-8.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 £1.25

$2.15 £1.60

-22.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 £5.90

$7.34 £5.48

7.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 £5.07

$6.61 £4.93

2.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 £1.13

$1.41 £1.05

7.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 £1.43

$1.62 £1.21

18.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 £1.49

$3.63 £2.71

-45.18%

Eggs

$3.80 £2.84

$3.31 £2.47

14.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.14 £6.83

$9.10 £6.79

0.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.16 £6.84

$8.40 £6.27

9.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.93 £11.89

$13.43 £10.02

18.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 £2.44

$1.74 £1.30

87.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.85 £1.38

-17.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 £2.18

$2.89 £2.15

0.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.52 £2.63

$2.95 £2.20

19.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 £1.13

$1.70 £1.27

-11.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.67 £1.25

-17.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 £0.95

$0.98 £0.73

30.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 £0.97

$0.56 £0.42

132.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.77 £17.75

$23.51 £17.56

1.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 £8.37

$11.37 £8.49

-1.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 £1.94

$2.56 £1.91

1.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 £2.42

$2.13 £1.59

51.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 £1.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 £81.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 £3.34

$3.19 £2.39

40.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 £1.67

$1.55 £1.16

43.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.87 £23.05

$11.97 £8.94

157.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 £1.57

$1.88 £1.40

12.23%

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

$39.6K £29.6K

$38.5K £28.8K

2.81%

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

$40.6K £30.3K

$41.1K £30.7K

-1.20%

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

$294 £219

$166 £124

76.67%

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

$16.69 £12.46

$15.08 £11.26

10.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.09 £29.94

$44.30 £33.08

-9.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 £40.73

$58.3 £43.50

-6.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.12 £13.53

$24.66 £18.41

-26.52%

Cinema Ticket

$13.38 £9.99

$9.43 £7.04

41.89%

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

$1,275 £952

$1,312 £980

-2.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.3K £15.2K

$20.0K £14.9K

1.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.9 £63.4

$93.7 £70.0

-9.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.46 £31.70

$41.30 £30.84

2.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 £71.3

$101 £75.3

-5.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 £79.7

$124 £92.8

-14.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,809 £1,351

$1,714 £1,280

5.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 £945

$1,331 £994

-4.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,122 £2,332

$2,507 £1,872

24.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 £1,484

$2,385 £1,781

-16.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,695 £3,506

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,509 £3,367

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,436 £2,565

$4,158 £3,105

-17.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

5.16

-5.62%

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

Last update for Manchester: September 12, 2026

Last update for Farnborough: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,809 in Manchester and $1,714 in Farnborough. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Farnborough pays 21% 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 $89.0 in Farnborough for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $273 per month, with Farnborough 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 Farnborough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manchester and Farnborough differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,573 vs $2,406 including rent). Farnborough is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 21% 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: $1,809 in Manchester versus $1,714 in Farnborough. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,275 in Manchester versus $1,312 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 $89.0 versus $95.0 in Manchester. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Farnborough is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 7% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.