Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Kettering Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Kettering

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,651 in Manchester versus $2,125 in Kettering.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,871 in Manchester versus $2,793 in Kettering.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,091 in Manchester versus $3,461 in Kettering.

Living in Manchester is roughly 25% more expensive than Kettering, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 98% above, Kettering 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.74 £15.45

$20.04 £14.92

3.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.5 £70.4

$82.8 £61.7

14.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.00

$10.76 £8.01

-0.09%

Cappuccino

$4.94 £3.68

$4.55 £3.39

8.57%

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

$2.59 £1.93

$1.97 £1.47

31.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.38 £1.03

23.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 £5.52

$5.49 £4.09

34.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.52 £5.60

$5.45 £4.06

37.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.15 £0.85

40.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.57 £1.17

14.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 £1.61

$2.06 £1.53

4.85%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.04

$4.22 £3.14

-3.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 £8.97

$10.19 £7.59

18.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 £7.26

$7.30 £5.44

33.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.39 £12.95

$15.83 £11.79

9.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 £2.46

$3.26 £2.43

1.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 £1.37

$1.75 £1.30

5.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 £2.84

$2.76 £2.05

38.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 £3.24

$2.53 £1.88

71.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 £1.56

$0.99 £0.74

112.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.67 £1.24

7.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 £0.97

$1.03 £0.77

27.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.52 £1.14

-3.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.73 £13.95

$16.31 £12.15

14.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 £7.92

$10.88 £8.10

-2.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 £1.91

$2.54 £1.89

1.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 £2.60

$1.91 £1.42

82.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 £2.05

$2.69 £2.00

2.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 £90.3

$87.3 £65.0

38.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 £4.09

$4.15 £3.09

32.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 £2.12

$1.99 £1.48

43.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.28 £25.53

$25.00 £18.62

37.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.97 £1.47

-0.51%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$38.0K £28.3K

-0.57%

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

$41.8K £31.1K

$42.2K £31.4K

-0.91%

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

$295 £220

$255 £190

15.53%

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

$22.44 £16.71

$16.52 £12.30

35.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.92 £31.96

$35.46 £26.41

21.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.39 £31.57

$41.06 £30.58

3.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.07 £11.97

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 £10.22

$13.51 £10.06

1.55%

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

$1,944 £1,448

$1,401 £1,043

38.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K £15.5K

$13.6K £10.1K

53.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 £67.5

$74.7 £55.6

21.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.85 £31.17

$36.47 £27.16

14.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 £66.6

$70.4 £52.4

27.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.0

$90.6 £67.5

17.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 £1,219

$1,070 £797

53.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 £936

$878 £654

43.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,702 £2,013

$1,069 £796

152.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 £1,547

$794 £592

161.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,107 £3,804

$5,477 £4,080

-6.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,671 £3,479

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,247 £2,418

$4,321 £3,218

-24.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.79

2.25%

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

Last update for Manchester: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kettering: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,637 in Manchester and $1,070 in Kettering. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kettering pays 33% 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 $83.0 in Kettering for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $284 per month, with Kettering 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 Kettering: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kettering is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Kettering earns 33% 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 $1,070 in Kettering. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kettering runs roughly 39% less than in Manchester. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,944 in Manchester versus $1,401 in Kettering. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,125 in Kettering versus $2,651 in Manchester, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Kettering but tight or insufficient in Manchester. The gap between the two cities makes Kettering the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kettering 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 Kettering 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 Kettering gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.