Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Leicester Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Leicester

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,651 per month in Manchester vs $2,263 in Leicester, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,871 per month in Manchester vs $3,227 in Leicester, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,091 per month in Manchester vs $4,192 in Leicester, rent included.

Manchester costs about 17% more than Leicester, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Manchester and Leicester sit above the global median – Manchester by 98%, Leicester by 69%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.74 £15.45

$20.77 £15.47

-0.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.5 £70.4

$68.3 £50.9

38.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.00

$8.90 £6.63

20.79%

Cappuccino

$4.94 £3.68

$3.63 £2.71

36.09%

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

$2.59 £1.93

$1.96 £1.46

32.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.16 £0.86

46.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 £5.52

$5.40 £4.02

37.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.52 £5.60

$6.22 £4.63

20.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.92 £1.43

-15.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.64 £1.22

9.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 £1.61

$2.35 £1.75

-8.09%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.04

$3.60 £2.68

13.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 £8.97

$12.13 £9.03

-0.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 £7.26

$9.64 £7.18

1.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.39 £12.95

$12.10 £9.01

43.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 £2.46

$2.33 £1.74

41.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 £1.37

$1.74 £1.30

5.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 £2.84

$2.67 £1.99

43.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 £3.24

$3.19 £2.37

36.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 £1.56

$1.25 £0.93

68.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.64 £1.22

9.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 £0.97

$0.81 £0.60

61.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.43 £1.06

2.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.73 £13.95

$20.58 £15.33

-8.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 £7.92

$11.25 £8.38

-5.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 £1.91

$2.82 £2.10

-8.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 £2.60

$2.76 £2.05

26.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 £2.05

$3.30 £2.46

-16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 £90.3

$85.8 £63.9

41.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 £4.09

$5.29 £3.94

3.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 £2.12

$1.36 £1.01

109.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.28 £25.53

$40.88 £30.45

-16.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$38.7K £28.8K

-2.48%

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

$41.8K £31.1K

$42.1K £31.4K

-0.82%

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

$295 £220

$282 £210

4.73%

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

$22.44 £16.71

$17.10 £12.73

31.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.92 £31.96

$41.75 £31.10

2.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.39 £31.57

$40.14 £29.90

5.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.07 £11.97

$32.26 £24.03

-50.19%

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 £10.22

$14.96 £11.14

-8.29%

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

$1,944 £1,448

$1,028 £765

89.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K £15.5K

$33.6K £25.0K

-37.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 £67.5

$95.6 £71.2

-5.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.85 £31.17

$36.79 £27.40

13.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 £66.6

$132 £98.1

-32.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.0

$94.5 £70.4

12.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 £1,219

$1,029 £767

59.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 £936

$1,031 £768

21.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,702 £2,013

$1,727 £1,286

56.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 £1,547

$1,512 £1,126

37.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,107 £3,804

$5,122 £3,815

-0.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,671 £3,479

$3,562 £2,653

31.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,247 £2,418

$2,882 £2,147

12.66%

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 Leicester: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,637 in Manchester versus $1,029 in Leicester. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 13% higher in Manchester, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94.0 in Manchester versus $68.0 in Leicester. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $335 vs $299 – making Leicester the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Leicester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manchester costs about 17% more than Leicester, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,977 per month in Manchester and $3,394 in Leicester. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Leicester, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Manchester, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94.0 in Manchester and $68.0 in Leicester. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Leicester, where all-in costs run around $2,263, than in Manchester at $2,651. In Leicester it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manchester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Leicester costs $2,263 versus $2,651 in Manchester. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Leicester. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manchester makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.