Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Hastings Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Hastings

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,651 in Manchester versus $2,639 in Hastings.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,871 in Manchester versus $3,540 in Hastings.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,091 in Manchester versus $4,442 in Hastings.

Monthly costs are close between Manchester and Hastings; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 98% above, Hastings 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.74 £15.45

$20.59 £15.34

0.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.5 £70.4

$78.7 £58.6

20.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.00

$11.43 £8.51

-5.95%

Cappuccino

$4.94 £3.68

$4.48 £3.33

10.27%

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

$2.59 £1.93

$2.67 £1.99

-3.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.34 £0.99

26.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 £5.52

$6.93 £5.16

6.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.52 £5.60

$6.71 £4.99

12.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 £1.21

$0.71 £0.53

128.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.42 £1.06

26.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 £1.61

$2.80 £2.08

-22.86%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.04

$3.34 £2.49

22.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 £8.97

$9.40 £7.00

28.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 £7.26

$9.28 £6.92

5.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.39 £12.95

$13.35 £9.94

30.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 £2.46

$2.31 £1.72

42.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 £1.37

$1.60 £1.19

15.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 £2.84

$2.50 £1.86

52.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 £3.24

$3.61 £2.69

20.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 £1.56

$1.82 £1.36

15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.21 £0.90

48.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 £0.97

$0.99 £0.74

32.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 £1.10

$2.30 £1.71

-36.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.73 £13.95

$17.70 £13.19

5.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 £7.92

$6.81 £5.07

56.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 £1.91

$2.93 £2.18

-12.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 £2.60

$3.37 £2.51

3.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 £2.05

$2.68 £1.99

2.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 £90.3

$89.5 £66.7

35.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 £4.09

$5.12 £3.81

7.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 £2.12

$1.67 £1.25

70.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.28 £25.53

$40.01 £29.80

-14.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.94 £1.44

1.03%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$20.4K £15.2K

85.50%

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

$41.8K £31.1K

$33.1K £24.7K

26.28%

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

$295 £220

$334 £249

-11.60%

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

$22.44 £16.71

$18.87 £14.05

18.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.92 £31.96

$26.88 £20.02

59.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.39 £31.57

$46.31 £34.49

-8.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.07 £11.97

$47.76 £35.57

-66.35%

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 £10.22

$12.37 £9.21

10.91%

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

$1,944 £1,448

$1,552 £1,156

25.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K £15.5K

$18.2K £13.5K

14.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 £67.5

$81.5 £60.7

11.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.85 £31.17

$40.86 £30.43

2.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 £66.6

$119 £88.6

-24.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.0

$148 £110

-28.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 £1,219

$1,470 £1,095

11.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 £936

$1,305 £972

-3.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,702 £2,013

$2,045 £1,523

32.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 £1,547

$1,519 £1,131

36.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,107 £3,804

$13.7K £10.2K

-62.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,671 £3,479

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,247 £2,418

$3,444 £2,565

-5.72%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Hastings: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,637 in Manchester and $1,470 in Hastings. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hastings pays 6% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $94.0 in Manchester vs $79.0 in Hastings for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $284 per month, with Hastings 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 Hastings: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, Hastings earns 6% less. 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: $1,637 in Manchester versus $1,470 in Hastings. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Hastings runs roughly 35% less than in Manchester. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Manchester. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,639 in Hastings versus $2,651 in Manchester, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Hastings but tight or insufficient in Manchester. The gap between the two cities makes Hastings 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.

It comes down to priorities – Hastings wins on affordability, Manchester on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.