Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Hitchin Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Hitchin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,684 in Manchester versus $2,615 in Hitchin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,957 in Manchester versus $3,676 in Hitchin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,230 in Manchester versus $4,737 in Hitchin.

Living in Manchester is roughly 3% more expensive than in Hitchin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 101% above, Hitchin 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.17 £15.01

$27.66 £20.60

-27.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.9 £72.1

$82.6 £61.5

17.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 £8.02

$8.19 £6.10

31.62%

Cappuccino

$5.10 £3.80

$4.77 £3.55

6.92%

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

$2.53 £1.88

$1.98 £1.47

27.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.67 £1.24

0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.31 £5.44

$5.57 £4.15

31.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.67 £5.71

$5.58 £4.16

37.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 £1.26

$1.72 £1.28

-1.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 £1.27

$1.53 £1.14

11.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 £1.68

$2.11 £1.57

6.64%

Eggs

$4.07 £3.03

$3.22 £2.40

26.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.25 £9.12

$10.38 £7.73

18.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.42 £7.02

$7.59 £5.65

24.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 £12.82

$17.66 £13.15

-2.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$3.37 £2.51

-0.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.27 £0.94

41.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 £2.99

$2.44 £1.81

64.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 £3.08

$2.64 £1.97

56.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.52

$0.92 £0.69

122.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.39 £1.04

29.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.93

$1.30 £0.97

-3.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 £1.11

$1.73 £1.29

-13.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.21 £14.30

$16.59 £12.35

15.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.00 £7.45

$10.07 £7.50

-0.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 £1.83

$2.54 £1.89

-3.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 £2.69

$2.91 £2.17

24.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 £1.97

$3.44 £2.56

-22.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$122 £90.6

$87.6 £65.3

38.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 £3.97

$4.37 £3.25

21.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.86 £2.13

$1.76 £1.31

62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.58 £25.00

$23.08 £17.18

45.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 £1.40

$1.97 £1.46

-4.06%

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

$38.7K £28.8K

$39.0K £29.1K

-0.81%

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

$41.5K £30.9K

$40.9K £30.5K

1.42%

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

$302 £225

$399 £297

-24.24%

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

$22.97 £17.10

$17.27 £12.86

33.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.39 £32.30

$36.34 £27.05

19.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.99 £30.52

$45.86 £34.14

-10.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.62 £11.63

$14.70 £10.94

6.26%

Cinema Ticket

$13.50 £10.05

$12.46 £9.28

8.35%

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

$1,984 £1,477

$1,789 £1,332

10.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K £15.6K

$18.2K £13.6K

15.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 £67.9

$75.0 £55.8

21.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.23 £31.44

$53.9 £40.09

-21.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 £65.6

$69.4 £51.6

27.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 £80.6

$61.1 £45.47

77.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,638 £1,220

$1,474 £1,097

11.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 £935

$1,197 £891

4.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,747 £2,045

$2,096 £1,560

31.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 £1,526

$1,934 £1,440

5.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,946 £3,682

$5,189 £3,863

-4.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,671 £3,478

$7,933 £5,906

-41.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,154 £2,348

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.93

-0.17%

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

Last update for Manchester: July 13, 2026

Last update for Hitchin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,638 in Manchester and $1,474 in Hitchin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $97.0 in Manchester vs $83.0 in Hitchin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $331 vs $294 per month, with Hitchin 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 Hitchin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hitchin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,026 in Manchester and $3,923 in Hitchin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,638 in Manchester versus $1,474 in Hitchin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Manchester. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Hitchin – a meal for two runs $83.0 versus $97.0 in Manchester. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Hitchin is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Hitchin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Manchester, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Manchester and Hitchin 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 Hitchin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.