Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Leicester

For one person, living is cheaper in Leicester: $2,266 a month against $2,499 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Manchester outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

121

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Leicester
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Leicester Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Leicester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,266

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Leicester

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 Leicester actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,499 per month in Manchester vs $2,266 in Leicester, rent included.

Manchester $2,499
Leicester $2,266

A couple spends around $3,623 per month in Manchester vs $3,200 in Leicester, rent included.

Manchester $3,623
Leicester $3,200

A family of three spends $4,747 per month in Manchester vs $4,133 in Leicester, rent included.

Manchester $4,747
Leicester $4,133

Manchester costs about 10% more than Leicester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Manchester and Leicester sit above the global median – Manchester by 84%, Leicester by 66%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 £15.22

$21.76 £16.38

-7.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.0 £64.7

$66.0 £49.67

30.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.74 £8.08

$9.24 £6.95

16.23%

Cappuccino

$4.68 £3.52

$4.72 £3.56

-0.85%

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

$2.44 £1.84

$2.42 £1.82

0.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 £1.22

$1.36 £1.03

19.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 £5.85

$6.74 £5.07

15.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 £5.04

$5.20 £3.91

28.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 £1.13

$1.73 £1.30

-12.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 £1.42

$1.62 £1.22

16.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 £1.46

$2.18 £1.64

-11.01%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.07

$3.94 £2.96

3.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 £7.23

$10.21 £7.69

-5.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 £6.76

$8.99 £6.76

-0.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 £11.60

$14.85 £11.18

3.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.33

$2.88 £2.16

7.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.19

$1.49 £1.12

6.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 £2.22

$2.74 £2.06

7.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 £2.52

$3.47 £2.61

-3.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 £1.14

$1.55 £1.17

-2.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 £1.01

$1.57 £1.18

-14.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.95

$1.18 £0.89

6.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 £0.93

$1.47 £1.10

-16.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.05 £18.10

$21.03 £15.83

14.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.19

$11.26 £8.48

-3.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 £1.83

$2.49 £1.87

-2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.38

$3.18 £2.39

-0.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 £2.06

$4.11 £3.09

-33.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 £81.2

$100 £75.3

7.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 £3.40

$4.86 £3.66

-7.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 £1.67

$3.93 £2.96

-43.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.82 £23.20

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.61

$2.03 £1.53

5.42%

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

$38.5K £28.9K

$38.0K £28.6K

1.25%

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

$40.0K £30.1K

$40.2K £30.3K

-0.49%

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

$252 £190

$312 £235

-19.11%

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

$16.23 £12.21

$16.36 £12.31

-0.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.58 £29.79

$44.04 £33.15

-10.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.67 £32.12

$34.58 £26.03

23.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.05 £13.59

$26.32 £19.81

-31.42%

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 £10.12

$14.55 £10.95

-7.63%

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

$1,494 £1,125

$1,372 £1,032

8.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K £14.8K

$26.4K £19.8K

-25.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 £62.9

$83.0 £62.5

0.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.97 £32.34

$41.80 £31.46

2.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 £71.5

$107 £80.7

-11.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.7

$107 £80.3

-0.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,785 £1,344

$1,090 £820

63.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 £920

$918 £691

33.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,930 £2,205

$1,739 £1,308

68.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 £1,429

$1,290 £971

47.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,668 £3,513

$4,857 £3,655

-3.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,397 £3,309

$3,333 £2,508

31.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,395 £2,555

$2,936 £2,210

15.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

5.33

-9.57%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 25, 2026

Last update for Leicester: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.2K 48.9%

Leicester

$918 40.5% 24.9% $305

Eating Out

Manchester

$319 12.8%

Leicester

$318 14% 0.3% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$308 12.3%

Leicester

$372 16.4% 20.8% $64

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$299 12%

Leicester

$301 13.3% 0.8% $2.4

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$147 5.9%

Leicester

$152 6.7% 3.4% $5

Getting Around

Manchester

$134 5.4%

Leicester

$141 6.2% 4.9% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$70 2.8%

Leicester

$64 2.8% 8.4% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,785 in Manchester versus $1,090 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 16% higher in Manchester. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Manchester versus $66 in Leicester. Groceries tell a different story – $299 in Manchester vs $301 in Leicester – so Manchester wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Leicester

🕒 Local time

18:49 6:49 PM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

305,700

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manchester Leicester 120 km

From you

Manchester
Leicester

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 Leicester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manchester costs about 10% more than Leicester, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,749 per month in Manchester and $3,399 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,090 there versus $1,785 in Manchester.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,499 in Manchester and $2,266 in Leicester. That’s a gap of about 10%.

Kindergarten costs $1,494 per month in Manchester and $1,372 in Leicester. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,499 in Manchester and $2,266 in Leicester. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Leicester – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.