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: $2,637 in Manchester versus $2,705 in Hastings.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,830 in Manchester versus $3,577 in Hastings.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,024 in Manchester versus $4,449 in Hastings.

Living in Manchester costs roughly 3% less than in Hastings, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 91% above, Hastings 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.56 £15.22

$24.87 £18.41

-17.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.0 £69.6

$82.3 £60.9

14.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 £8.17

$12.06 £8.93

-8.54%

Cappuccino

$4.82 £3.57

$4.53 £3.35

6.40%

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

$2.53 £1.87

$3.26 £2.41

-22.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.28

$1.31 £0.97

32.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 £6.06

$6.84 £5.06

19.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 £5.06

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 £1.08

$0.75 £0.55

93.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 £1.36

$1.77 £1.31

3.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 £1.43

$2.68 £1.98

-27.99%

Eggs

$3.99 £2.96

$3.32 £2.46

20.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.53 £7.05

$9.94 £7.36

-4.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 £6.63

$9.73 £7.21

-7.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.76 £11.67

$13.30 £9.85

18.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 £2.38

$2.91 £2.15

10.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 £1.20

$1.74 £1.28

-7.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 £2.23

$2.88 £2.13

4.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 £2.53

$3.61 £2.67

-5.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 £1.11

$1.81 £1.34

-17.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 £0.99

$1.54 £1.14

-13.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 £0.95

$1.24 £0.92

4.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 £0.96

$1.83 £1.35

-28.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.36 £18.03

$17.67 £13.08

37.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.05

$6.80 £5.03

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 £1.82

$3.04 £2.25

-19.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 £2.28

$3.40 £2.51

-9.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £1.99

$3.48 £2.58

-22.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 £80.5

$90.6 £67.1

20.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.64 £3.43

$4.32 £3.20

7.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 £1.60

$1.10 £0.81

96.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.39 £22.49

$32.29 £23.90

-5.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 £1.55

$2.08 £1.54

0.48%

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

$39.5K £29.2K

$39.2K £29.1K

0.67%

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

$41.6K £30.8K

$42.1K £31.2K

-1.12%

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

$292 £216

$337 £250

-13.30%

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

$16.65 £12.32

$20.34 £15.06

-18.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.66 £29.36

$54.2 £40.09

-26.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 £40.21

$42.72 £31.62

27.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.86 £13.96

Cinema Ticket

$13.54 £10.02

$16.21 £12.00

-16.47%

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

$1,309 £969

$1,634 £1,210

-19.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K £14.8K

$18.3K £13.5K

9.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 £65.2

$104 £77.3

-15.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.59 £30.79

$52.9 £39.13

-21.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 £70.6

$105 £77.5

-8.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 £78.9

$135 £99.8

-20.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,816 £1,344

$1,474 £1,091

23.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 £958

$1,267 £938

2.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,067 £2,270

$1,621 £1,200

89.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 £1,495

$1,537 £1,138

31.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,729 £3,500

$13.6K £10.1K

-65.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,465 £3,305

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,446 £2,551

$3,429 £2,538

0.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

4.96

-1.81%

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

Last update for Manchester: September 6, 2026

Last update for Hastings: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,816 in Manchester and $1,474 in Hastings. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manchester pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $94.0 in Manchester vs $82.0 in Hastings for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $293 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

Manchester and Hastings differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($2,637 vs $2,705 including rent). Manchester is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 0% higher in Manchester, 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: $1,816 in Manchester versus $1,474 in Hastings. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,637 per month in Manchester versus $2,705 in Hastings – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Manchester runs roughly 20% less than in Hastings. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Manchester 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 Manchester gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Hastings. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.