Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Lichfield

For one person, living is cheaper in Lichfield: $2,377 a month against $2,532 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 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
114

Cost of Living Index in Lichfield
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Lichfield Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,532

/mo nomad

Lichfield

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,377

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Lichfield

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

A single person spends $2,532 per month in Manchester vs $2,377 in Lichfield, rent included.

Manchester $2,532
Lichfield $2,377

A couple spends around $3,686 per month in Manchester vs $3,434 in Lichfield, rent included.

Manchester $3,686
Lichfield $3,434

A family of three spends $4,839 per month in Manchester vs $4,490 in Lichfield, rent included.

Manchester $4,839
Lichfield $4,490

Manchester costs about 7% more than Lichfield, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manchester and Lichfield sit above the global median – Manchester by 87%, Lichfield by 75%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 £15.18

$20.47 £15.36

-1.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.1 £65.3

$66.7 £50.0

30.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 £8.12

$9.53 £7.15

13.64%

Cappuccino

$4.81 £3.61

$4.69 £3.52

2.56%

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

$2.44 £1.83

$2.40 £1.80

1.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.30 £0.98

24.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 £5.87

$6.69 £5.02

16.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 £4.86

$5.31 £3.98

22.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 £1.09

$1.66 £1.25

-12.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 £1.47

$1.56 £1.17

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 £1.40

$2.19 £1.64

-15.07%

Eggs

$4.05 £3.04

$3.94 £2.96

2.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.76 £7.32

$9.53 £7.15

2.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 £6.83

$8.54 £6.40

6.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 £11.64

$14.32 £10.74

8.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 £2.40

$2.47 £1.85

29.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 £1.14

$1.54 £1.16

-1.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 £2.26

$2.38 £1.79

26.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 £2.51

$3.49 £2.62

-4.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 £1.17

$1.52 £1.14

1.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 £0.98

$1.58 £1.19

-17.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 £0.92

$1.21 £0.91

0.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 £0.96

$1.51 £1.14

-15.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.68 £17.77

$21.01 £15.76

12.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.16

$10.90 £8.18

-0.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 £1.91

$2.58 £1.94

-1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 £2.36

$3.22 £2.42

-2.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £2.01

$3.96 £2.97

-32.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 £79.1

$110 £82.2

-3.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 £3.31

$4.81 £3.61

-8.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 £1.65

$2.35 £1.76

-6.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 £22.85

$24.33 £18.25

25.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 £1.53

$2.11 £1.58

-3.32%

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

$39.2K £29.4K

$37.9K £28.4K

3.40%

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

$40.3K £30.2K

$40.2K £30.1K

0.22%

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

$252 £189

$315 £237

-20.22%

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

$16.62 £12.47

$16.01 £12.01

3.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.61 £30.47

$48.33 £36.26

-15.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 £41.32

$50.4 £37.79

9.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.02 £13.52

Cinema Ticket

$13.26 £9.95

$12.11 £9.09

9.50%

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

$1,252 £939

$1,246 £935

0.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K £14.9K

$24.1K £18.1K

-17.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.2 £63.2

$84.2 £63.1

0.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.72 £32.05

$41.96 £31.48

1.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 £69.2

$108 £80.7

-14.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.8

$108 £81.1

-1.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 £1,342

$1,221 £916

46.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 £932

$1,028 £771

20.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,014 £2,261

$1,329 £997

126.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 £1,471

$1,683 £1,263

16.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,552 £3,415

$5,257 £3,944

-13.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,349 £3,262

$4,195 £3,147

3.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,460 £2,596

$4,310 £3,233

-19.71%

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 18, 2026

Last update for Lichfield: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.2K 49.1%

Lichfield

$1K 43.2% 17.3% $214

Eating Out

Manchester

$320 12.7%

Lichfield

$308 12.9% 4% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$309 12.2%

Lichfield

$380 16% 23% $71

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$301 11.9%

Lichfield

$291 12.3% 3.2% $9.7

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$146 5.8%

Lichfield

$154 6.5% 5% $7.3

Getting Around

Manchester

$132 5.2%

Lichfield

$142 6% 7.9% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$82 3.2%

Lichfield

$75 3.1% 8.6% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,789 in Manchester versus $1,221 in Lichfield. 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 25% higher in Lichfield, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87.0 in Manchester versus $67.0 in Lichfield. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $301 vs $291 – making Lichfield the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Lichfield

🕒 Local time

21:54 9:54 PM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

30,600

💱 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 Lichfield 93 km

From you

Manchester
Lichfield

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 Lichfield: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,532 in Manchester, $2,377 in Lichfield – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,798 per month in Manchester and $3,565 in Lichfield. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 4% less in Lichfield. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,252 per month in Manchester and $1,246 in Lichfield. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lichfield, where all-in costs run around $2,377, than in Manchester at $2,532. In Lichfield it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manchester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Manchester has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,377 in Lichfield to $2,532 in Manchester. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lichfield. 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.