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: $2,684 in Manchester versus $2,508 in Farnborough.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,957 in Manchester versus $3,737 in Farnborough.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,230 in Manchester versus $4,965 in Farnborough.

Living in Manchester is roughly 7% more expensive than in Farnborough, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 101% above, Farnborough 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.17 £15.01

$20.33 £15.14

-0.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.9 £72.1

$77.6 £57.8

24.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 £8.02

$8.86 £6.59

21.67%

Cappuccino

$5.10 £3.80

$4.98 £3.71

2.41%

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

$2.53 £1.88

$2.67 £1.99

-5.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.91 £1.42

-12.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.31 £5.44

$6.92 £5.15

5.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.67 £5.71

$6.95 £5.17

10.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 £1.26

$1.45 £1.08

16.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 £1.27

$1.39 £1.03

23.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 £1.68

$3.70 £2.75

-39.19%

Eggs

$4.07 £3.03

$5.34 £3.98

-23.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.25 £9.12

$8.72 £6.49

40.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.42 £7.02

$9.25 £6.89

1.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 £12.82

$14.53 £10.82

18.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$1.44 £1.08

132.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.58 £1.18

13.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 £2.99

$2.40 £1.79

67.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 £3.08

$3.23 £2.40

28.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.52

$1.82 £1.36

12.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.21 £0.90

48.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.93

$0.93 £0.70

34.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 £1.11

$0.72 £0.54

106.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.21 £14.30

$17.35 £12.92

10.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.00 £7.45

$10.92 £8.13

-8.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 £1.83

$3.17 £2.36

-22.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 £2.69

$3.43 £2.55

5.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 £1.97

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$122 £90.6

$87.6 £65.2

38.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 £3.97

$3.08 £2.29

73.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.86 £2.13

$1.87 £1.40

52.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.58 £25.00

$12.36 £9.20

171.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 £1.40

$1.91 £1.42

-1.05%

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

$38.7K £28.8K

$37.7K £28.1K

2.72%

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

$41.5K £30.9K

$37.8K £28.1K

9.80%

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

$302 £225

$135 £100

124.15%

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

$22.97 £17.10

$16.29 £12.13

41.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.39 £32.30

$41.42 £30.84

4.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.99 £30.52

$59.4 £44.22

-30.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.62 £11.63

$24.04 £17.90

-35.02%

Cinema Ticket

$13.50 £10.05

$8.03 £5.98

68.12%

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

$1,984 £1,477

$1,529 £1,138

29.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K £15.6K

$18.6K £13.9K

12.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 £67.9

$115 £85.7

-20.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.23 £31.44

$53.9 £40.12

-21.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 £65.6

$117 £87.3

-24.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 £80.6

$146 £109

-26.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,638 £1,220

$1,692 £1,259

-3.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 £935

$1,319 £982

-4.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,747 £2,045

$2,408 £1,793

14.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 £1,526

$2,175 £1,619

-5.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,946 £3,682

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,671 £3,478

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,154 £2,348

$4,094 £3,048

-22.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.62

5.34%

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

Last update for Manchester: July 13, 2026

Last update for Farnborough: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,638 in Manchester and $1,692 in Farnborough. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Farnborough pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $97.0 in Manchester vs $78.0 in Farnborough for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $331 vs $288 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 ($2,684 vs $2,508 including rent). Farnborough is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 30% 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: $1,638 in Manchester versus $1,692 in Farnborough. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Farnborough – a meal for two runs $78.0 versus $97.0 in Manchester. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,684 per month in Manchester versus $2,508 in Farnborough – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.