Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Kingston upon Thames Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Kingston upon Thames

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,651 in Manchester versus $3,330 in Kingston upon Thames.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,871 in Manchester versus $4,854 in Kingston upon Thames.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,091 in Manchester versus $6,379 in Kingston upon Thames.

Living in Manchester costs roughly 20% less than in Kingston upon Thames, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 98% above, Kingston upon Thames 149% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.74 £15.45

$22.67 £16.88

-8.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.5 £70.4

$86.6 £64.5

9.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.00

$10.26 £7.64

4.78%

Cappuccino

$4.94 £3.68

$5.29 £3.94

-6.62%

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

$2.59 £1.93

$2.87 £2.14

-9.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.87 £1.39

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 £5.52

$8.67 £6.45

-14.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.52 £5.60

$8.28 £6.17

-9.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.66 £1.23

-2.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.54 £1.15

16.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 £1.61

$2.81 £2.09

-23.13%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.04

$4.12 £3.07

-0.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 £8.97

$10.06 £7.49

19.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 £7.26

$8.82 £6.57

10.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.39 £12.95

$14.89 £11.09

16.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 £2.46

$3.41 £2.54

-3.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 £1.37

$2.04 £1.52

-9.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 £2.84

$2.95 £2.20

29.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 £3.24

$3.61 £2.69

20.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 £1.56

$1.51 £1.12

39.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.87 £1.39

-3.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 £0.97

$1.05 £0.78

24.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.94 £1.44

-24.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.73 £13.95

$17.64 £13.14

6.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 £7.92

$11.34 £8.44

-6.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 £1.91

$3.18 £2.37

-19.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 £2.60

$3.93 £2.93

-11.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 £2.05

$2.36 £1.76

16.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 £90.3

$43.38 £32.31

179.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 £4.09

$5.12 £3.82

7.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 £2.12

$2.18 £1.62

30.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.28 £25.53

$34.62 £25.78

-0.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.95 £1.45

0.51%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$38.2K £28.5K

-1.20%

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

$41.8K £31.1K

$39.0K £29.0K

7.30%

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

$295 £220

$327 £243

-9.72%

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

$22.44 £16.71

$15.81 £11.77

41.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.92 £31.96

$41.55 £30.95

3.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.39 £31.57

$90.6 £67.5

-53.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.07 £11.97

$9.37 £6.98

71.50%

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 £10.22

$20.44 £15.22

-32.88%

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

$1,944 £1,448

$1,892 £1,409

2.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K £15.5K

$17.6K £13.1K

18.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 £67.5

$86.6 £64.5

4.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.85 £31.17

$42.69 £31.80

-1.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 £66.6

$86.7 £64.6

3.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.0

$140 £104

-24.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 £1,219

$2,072 £1,543

-20.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 £936

$1,865 £1,389

-32.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,702 £2,013

$3,725 £2,774

-27.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 £1,547

$3,252 £2,422

-36.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,107 £3,804

$16.6K £12.4K

-69.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,671 £3,479

$4,376 £3,259

6.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,247 £2,418

$4,768 £3,551

-31.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.9

0.34%

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

Last update for Manchester: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kingston upon Thames: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,637 in Manchester and $2,072 in Kingston upon Thames. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston upon Thames pays 47% 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 $87.0 in Kingston upon Thames for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $320 per month, with Kingston upon Thames 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 Kingston upon Thames: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manchester and Kingston upon Thames differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($2,651 vs $3,330 including rent). Manchester is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kingston upon Thames earns 47% 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 $2,072 in Kingston upon Thames. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Manchester runs roughly 179% less than in Kingston upon Thames. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,944 in Manchester versus $1,892 in Kingston upon Thames. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

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 Kingston upon Thames 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 Manchester gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Kingston upon Thames. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.