Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Guildford

For one person, living is cheaper in Manchester: $2,499 a month against $3,168 in Guildford, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index
152

Cost of Living Index in Guildford
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Guildford Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Guildford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$3,168

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Guildford

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 Guildford actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,499 per month in Manchester vs $3,168 in Guildford, rent included.

Manchester $2,499
Guildford $3,168

A couple spends around $3,623 per month in Manchester vs $4,474 in Guildford, rent included.

Manchester $3,623
Guildford $4,474

A family of three spends $4,747 per month in Manchester vs $5,779 in Guildford, rent included.

Manchester $4,747
Guildford $5,779

Manchester is about 21% cheaper than Guildford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manchester and Guildford sit above the global median – Manchester by 84%, Guildford by 133%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 £15.11

$29.72 £22.20

-31.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.0 £64.3

$93.3 £69.7

-7.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.74 £8.02

$11.23 £8.39

-4.36%

Cappuccino

$4.68 £3.50

$5.04 £3.76

-7.14%

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

$2.44 £1.82

$2.71 £2.02

-9.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.56 £1.16

3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 £5.81

$8.56 £6.39

-9.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 £5.01

$6.84 £5.11

-2.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.55 £1.15

-2.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 £1.41

$1.33 £0.99

41.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.97 £1.47

-1.52%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.04

$4.36 £3.25

-6.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 £7.18

$13.56 £10.13

-29.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 £6.71

$10.24 £7.65

-12.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 £11.51

$16.16 £12.07

-4.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.31

$3.54 £2.64

-12.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.18

$2.12 £1.58

-25.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 £2.20

$3.73 £2.79

-20.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$5.43 £4.05

-38.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 £1.13

$1.93 £1.44

-21.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 £1.01

$1.44 £1.08

-6.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

$1.15 £0.86

9.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 £0.92

$1.48 £1.11

-16.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.05 £17.96

$24.07 £17.98

-0.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.13

$11.95 £8.93

-8.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 £1.81

$2.50 £1.86

-2.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.37

$3.06 £2.29

3.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 £2.04

$3.13 £2.34

-12.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 £80.6

$94.2 £70.4

14.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 £3.37

$4.60 £3.44

-1.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 £1.66

$2.02 £1.51

9.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.82 £23.03

$40.80 £30.48

-24.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.60

$2.04 £1.52

4.90%

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

$38.5K £28.7K

$39.2K £29.3K

-1.79%

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

$40.0K £29.9K

$41.1K £30.7K

-2.58%

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

$252 £189

$398 £297

-36.53%

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

$16.23 £12.12

$20.59 £15.38

-21.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.58 £29.57

$46.34 £34.62

-14.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.67 £31.88

$51.7 £38.62

-17.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.05 £13.49

$23.05 £17.22

-21.69%

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 £10.04

$10.51 £7.85

27.88%

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

$1,494 £1,116

$2,390 £1,786

-37.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K £14.7K

$24.5K £18.3K

-19.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 £62.4

$111 £82.8

-24.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.97 £32.10

$66.8 £49.90

-35.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 £71.0

$118 £88.1

-19.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.1

$127 £95.0

-16.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,785 £1,334

$1,946 £1,454

-8.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 £913

$1,573 £1,175

-22.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,930 £2,189

$2,908 £2,173

0.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 £1,419

$2,363 £1,765

-19.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,668 £3,487

$7,969 £5,953

-41.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,397 £3,285

$6,803 £5,083

-35.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,395 £2,536

$3,678 £2,748

-7.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

5.13

-6.04%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 25, 2026

Last update for Guildford: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.2K 48.9%

Guildford

$1.6K 49.7% 28.7% $351

Eating Out

Manchester

$319 12.8%

Guildford

$405 12.8% 27.2% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$308 12.3%

Guildford

$465 14.7% 50.7% $156

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$299 12%

Guildford

$340 10.7% 14% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$147 5.9%

Guildford

$190 6% 29.1% $43

Getting Around

Manchester

$134 5.4%

Guildford

$121 3.8% 9.7% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$70 2.8%

Guildford

$73 2.3% 4.5% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,785 in Manchester versus $1,946 in Guildford. 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 8% higher in Guildford, 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 $93 in Guildford. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $299 vs $340 – making Manchester the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Guildford

🕒 Local time

11:39 11:39 AM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

66,773

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manchester Guildford 270 km

From you

Manchester
Guildford

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Guildford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Guildford is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,749 per month in Manchester and $4,752 in Guildford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,785 in Manchester and $1,946 in Guildford. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Guildford, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Manchester and $93 in Guildford. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Manchester – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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