Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Kettering

For one person, living is cheaper in Kettering: $1,921 a month against $2,544 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Kettering
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Kettering Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,544

/mo nomad

Kettering

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$1,921

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Kettering

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Manchester and in Kettering actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,544 in Manchester versus $1,921 in Kettering.

Manchester $2,544
Kettering $1,921

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,691 in Manchester versus $2,555 in Kettering.

Manchester $3,691
Kettering $2,555

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,839 in Manchester versus $3,189 in Kettering.

Manchester $4,839
Kettering $3,189

Living in Manchester is roughly 32% more expensive than in Kettering, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 88% above, Kettering 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.64 £14.74

$19.80 £14.86

-0.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.7 £65.8

$80.4 £60.3

9.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 £7.85

$10.75 £8.07

-2.60%

Cappuccino

$4.85 £3.64

$4.59 £3.44

5.66%

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

$2.49 £1.87

$2.10 £1.58

18.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 £1.26

$1.53 £1.15

9.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.75 £5.81

$5.75 £4.31

34.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.72 £5.04

$5.35 £4.01

25.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 £1.07

$1.44 £1.08

-0.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.76 £1.32

10.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 £1.40

$2.71 £2.03

-31.00%

Eggs

$3.97 £2.98

$3.98 £2.99

-0.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.40 £7.05

$9.01 £6.76

4.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 £6.77

$7.54 £5.66

19.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.39 £11.55

$16.40 £12.30

-6.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.32

$3.30 £2.48

-6.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.19

$1.54 £1.15

2.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 £2.28

$2.67 £2.01

13.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 £2.52

$3.16 £2.37

6.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 £1.17

$1.21 £0.91

28.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 £1.02

$1.71 £1.28

-20.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 £0.90

$1.21 £0.91

-0.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 £0.95

$1.24 £0.93

2.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.80 £17.85

$23.65 £17.74

0.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.11 £8.34

$9.70 £7.28

14.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 £1.88

$3.28 £2.46

-23.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 £2.34

$2.39 £1.79

30.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 £2.00

$2.59 £1.94

3.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 £77.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 £3.39

$4.09 £3.07

10.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 £1.64

$1.59 £1.19

37.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.56 £22.18

$31.82 £23.87

-7.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 £1.58

$2.00 £1.50

5.50%

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

$37.5K £28.1K

$37.6K £28.2K

-0.27%

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

$40.3K £30.2K

$41.0K £30.7K

-1.64%

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

$250 £188

$200 £150

25.03%

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

$16.38 £12.29

$16.23 £12.17

0.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.35 £30.27

$43.94 £32.96

-8.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 £41.65

$39.72 £29.80

39.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 £13.75

Cinema Ticket

$13.11 £9.84

$12.96 £9.73

1.16%

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

$1,240 £930

$1,503 £1,128

-17.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K £14.6K

$22.3K £16.7K

-12.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.5 £63.4

$86.4 £64.8

-2.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 £31.05

$31.23 £23.43

32.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 £68.7

$73.9 £55.4

24.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 £77.6

$97.2 £72.9

6.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 £1,371

$1,053 £790

73.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 £950

$851 £638

48.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,044 £2,284

$1,071 £804

184.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 £1,488

$758 £569

161.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,537 £3,403

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,324 £3,244

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,329 £2,498

$4,330 £3,248

-23.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

5.06

-4.74%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kettering: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.3K 49.8%

Kettering

$851 44.3% 32.8% $416

Eating Out

Manchester

$316 12.4%

Kettering

$300 15.6% 5% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$307 12.1%

Kettering

$260 13.6% 15.2% $47

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$299 11.8%

Kettering

$292 15.2% 2.2% $6.5

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$144 5.7%

Kettering

$130 6.8% 10.1% $15

Getting Around

Manchester

$130 5.1%

Kettering

$22 * 1.2% 82.7% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$82 3.2%

Kettering

$66 3.4% 19.7% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,827 in Manchester and $1,053 in Kettering. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kettering pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88.0 in Manchester vs $80.0 in Kettering for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $292 per month, with Kettering cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Kettering

🕒 Local time

17:54 5:54 PM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

56,676

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Manchester Kettering 160 km

From you

Manchester
Kettering

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Kettering. 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: $1,827 in Manchester versus $1,053 in Kettering. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Manchester. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,544 per month in Manchester versus $1,921 in Kettering – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,921 in Kettering versus $2,544 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 32% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.