Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Gloucester Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Gloucester

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,651 in Manchester versus $2,109 in Gloucester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,871 in Manchester versus $3,133 in Gloucester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,091 in Manchester versus $4,156 in Gloucester.

Living in Manchester is roughly 26% more expensive than Gloucester, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 98% above, Gloucester 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.74 £15.45

$20.43 £15.22

1.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.5 £70.4

$59.9 £44.60

57.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.00

$10.89 £8.11

-1.29%

Cappuccino

$4.94 £3.68

$3.84 £2.86

28.65%

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

$2.59 £1.93

$1.90 £1.41

36.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.72 £1.28

-1.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 £5.52

$6.01 £4.47

23.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.52 £5.60

$4.65 £3.46

61.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.74 £1.30

-6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.40 £1.05

28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 £1.61

$1.74 £1.30

24.14%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.04

$4.42 £3.30

-7.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 £8.97

$8.71 £6.49

38.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 £7.26

$8.45 £6.30

15.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.39 £12.95

$9.59 £7.15

81.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 £2.46

$2.89 £2.15

14.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 £1.37

$1.21 £0.90

52.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 £2.84

$1.38 £1.03

176.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 £3.24

$3.77 £2.81

15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 £1.56

$1.59 £1.19

32.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.49 £1.11

20.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 £0.97

$1.09 £0.81

20.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 £1.10

$0.90 £0.67

63.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.73 £13.95

$19.34 £14.40

-3.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 £7.92

$11.30 £8.42

-5.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 £1.91

$2.96 £2.21

-13.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 £2.60

$1.95 £1.45

78.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 £2.05

$2.70 £2.01

1.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 £90.3

$94.0 £70.0

28.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 £4.09

$4.01 £2.99

36.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 £2.12

$2.16 £1.61

31.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.28 £25.53

$20.55 £15.31

66.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.88 £1.40

4.26%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$38.6K £28.7K

-2.03%

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

$41.8K £31.1K

$55.6K £41.4K

-24.85%

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

$295 £220

$287 £214

2.80%

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

$22.44 £16.71

$20.17 £15.02

11.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.92 £31.96

$42.90 £31.95

0.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.39 £31.57

$46.37 £34.54

-8.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.07 £11.97

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 £10.22

$7.86 £5.85

74.55%

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

$1,944 £1,448

$1,080 £804

79.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K £15.5K

$33.6K £25.0K

-38.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 £67.5

$56.8 £42.27

59.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.85 £31.17

$36.00 £26.81

16.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 £66.6

$72.5 £54.0

23.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.0

$66.7 £49.69

59.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 £1,219

$875 £652

87.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 £936

$943 £702

33.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,702 £2,013

$2,631 £1,960

2.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 £1,547

$1,731 £1,289

20.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,107 £3,804

$5,525 £4,115

-7.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,671 £3,479

$4,009 £2,986

16.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,247 £2,418

$2,385 £1,777

36.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.68

4.23%

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

Last update for Manchester: May 31, 2026

Last update for Gloucester: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,637 in Manchester and $875 in Gloucester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manchester pays 36% 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 $60.0 in Gloucester for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $264 per month, with Gloucester 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 Gloucester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gloucester wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Manchester. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gloucester the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Manchester pays 36% more on average, 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: $1,637 in Manchester versus $875 in Gloucester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Manchester. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gloucester – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $94.0 in Manchester. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,109 in Gloucester versus $2,651 in Manchester, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gloucester but tight or insufficient in Manchester. The gap between the two cities makes Gloucester the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gloucester delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,109 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gloucester hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Manchester and Gloucester 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 Gloucester gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.