Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Ipswich Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Ipswich

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,648 in Manchester versus $2,161 in Ipswich.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,928 in Manchester versus $3,185 in Ipswich.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,208 in Manchester versus $4,209 in Ipswich.

Living in Manchester is roughly 23% more expensive than in Ipswich, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 99% above, Ipswich 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.42 £15.28

$20.71 £15.49

-1.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.4 £70.6

$89.3 £66.8

5.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.00 £8.23

$10.72 £8.02

2.61%

Cappuccino

$5.14 £3.85

$4.61 £3.45

11.50%

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

$2.63 £1.97

$1.55 £1.16

69.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 £1.26

$1.06 £0.79

58.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.57 £5.66

$6.73 £5.04

12.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.44 £5.56

$5.98 £4.47

24.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 £1.28

$1.40 £1.05

22.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.46 £1.09

21.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 £1.67

$1.45 £1.08

54.48%

Eggs

$4.09 £3.06

$3.77 £2.82

8.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.15 £9.09

$8.14 £6.09

49.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.42 £7.05

$6.81 £5.09

38.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.15 £12.83

$13.49 £10.09

27.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 £2.49

$2.40 £1.79

38.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 £1.34

$1.32 £0.99

35.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 £2.94

$2.00 £1.49

96.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 £3.15

$2.21 £1.65

90.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.53

$1.72 £1.29

19.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 £1.41

$1.54 £1.15

22.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

$0.88 £0.66

43.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 £1.12

$0.92 £0.69

63.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.00 £14.22

$16.53 £12.36

14.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 £7.70

$13.15 £9.84

-21.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 £1.93

$1.80 £1.35

43.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 £2.66

$2.49 £1.87

42.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 £2.00

$2.68 £2.01

-0.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$123 £92.3

$88.0 £65.8

40.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.31 £3.97

$6.06 £4.54

-12.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 £2.13

$1.08 £0.81

163.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.57 £25.86

$34.63 £25.90

-0.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.48

$1.92 £1.43

2.60%

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

$37.7K £28.2K

$38.4K £28.7K

-1.72%

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

$40.5K £30.3K

$42.0K £31.5K

-3.75%

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

$303 £226

$332 £249

-8.98%

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

$22.65 £16.94

$14.43 £10.79

56.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.94 £32.12

$34.71 £25.97

23.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.89 £30.59

$74.6 £55.8

-45.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.65 £11.71

$10.91 £8.16

43.45%

Cinema Ticket

$13.81 £10.33

$13.74 £10.28

0.51%

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

$1,956 £1,463

$1,931 £1,444

1.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K £16.0K

$23.0K £17.2K

-7.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 £66.2

$82.7 £61.9

7.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.00 £31.42

$41.29 £30.89

1.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 £65.4

$87.2 £65.2

0.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 £81.3

$72.3 £54.1

50.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,623 £1,214

$1,047 £783

55.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 £938

$875 £654

43.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,724 £2,038

$1,472 £1,101

85.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,051 £1,535

$1,494 £1,118

37.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,997 £3,738

$5,143 £3,848

-2.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,610 £3,449

$3,967 £2,968

16.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,183 £2,381

$2,953 £2,209

7.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.45

8.62%

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

Last update for Manchester: July 26, 2026

Last update for Ipswich: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,623 in Manchester and $1,047 in Ipswich. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manchester pays 8% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $94.0 in Manchester vs $89.0 in Ipswich for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $250 per month, with Ipswich 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 Ipswich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manchester and Ipswich differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,648 vs $2,161 including rent). Ipswich is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% 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: $1,623 in Manchester versus $1,047 in Ipswich. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ipswich runs roughly 40% less than in Manchester. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,956 in Manchester versus $1,931 in Ipswich. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,161 in Ipswich versus $2,648 in Manchester, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Ipswich but tight or insufficient in Manchester. The gap between the two cities makes Ipswich 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.

Safety-wise, Manchester and Ipswich 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 Ipswich gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.