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: $2,651 in Manchester versus $2,584 in Hitchin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,871 in Manchester versus $3,740 in Hitchin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,091 in Manchester versus $4,897 in Hitchin.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 98% above, Hitchin 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.74 £15.45

$27.29 £20.33

-24.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.5 £70.4

$80.7 £60.1

17.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.00

$8.23 £6.13

30.62%

Cappuccino

$4.94 £3.68

$4.59 £3.42

7.63%

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

$2.59 £1.93

$1.88 £1.40

37.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.60 £1.19

6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 £5.52

$5.31 £3.96

39.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.52 £5.60

$5.33 £3.97

41.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.65 £1.23

-1.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.54 £1.15

16.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 £1.61

$2.04 £1.52

5.88%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.04

$3.33 £2.48

22.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 £8.97

$10.11 £7.53

19.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 £7.26

$7.49 £5.58

30.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.39 £12.95

$17.58 £13.09

-1.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 £2.46

$3.48 £2.59

-5.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 £1.37

$1.26 £0.94

46.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 £2.84

$2.44 £1.82

56.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 £3.24

$2.56 £1.91

69.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 £1.56

$0.97 £0.72

116.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.39 £1.03

29.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 £0.97

$1.30 £0.97

0.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.77 £1.32

-16.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.73 £13.95

$16.53 £12.31

13.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 £7.92

$10.13 £7.55

5.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 £1.91

$2.60 £1.94

-1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 £2.60

$2.80 £2.08

24.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 £2.05

$3.32 £2.48

-17.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 £90.3

$87.8 £65.4

37.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 £4.09

$4.41 £3.28

24.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 £2.12

$1.75 £1.30

62.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.28 £25.53

$22.84 £17.01

50.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.95 £1.46

0.51%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$37.8K £28.2K

-0.17%

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

$41.8K £31.1K

$41.9K £31.2K

-0.23%

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

$295 £220

$390 £291

-24.36%

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

$22.44 £16.71

$17.26 £12.86

30.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.92 £31.96

$36.16 £26.93

18.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.39 £31.57

$47.07 £35.06

-9.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.07 £11.97

$14.78 £11.01

8.73%

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 £10.22

$12.42 £9.25

10.47%

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

$1,944 £1,448

$1,743 £1,298

11.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K £15.5K

$18.4K £13.7K

13.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 £67.5

$74.8 £55.7

21.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.85 £31.17

$53.7 £39.99

-22.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 £66.6

$70.7 £52.6

26.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.0

$61.7 £45.95

72.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 £1,219

$1,488 £1,108

10.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 £936

$1,179 £878

6.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,702 £2,013

$2,065 £1,538

30.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 £1,547

$1,917 £1,428

8.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,107 £3,804

$5,179 £3,857

-1.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,671 £3,479

$8,003 £5,961

-41.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,247 £2,418

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Hitchin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,637 in Manchester and $1,488 in Hitchin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $94.0 in Manchester vs $81.0 in Hitchin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $292 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 $3,977 in Manchester and $3,875 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: $1,637 in Manchester versus $1,488 in Hitchin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% 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 $81.0 versus $94.0 in Manchester. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,584 in Hitchin versus $2,651 in Manchester, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hitchin but tight or insufficient in Manchester. The gap between the two cities makes Hitchin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.