Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Lisburn Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Lisburn

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,696 in Manchester versus $2,223 in Lisburn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,934 in Manchester versus $3,410 in Lisburn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,171 in Manchester versus $4,597 in Lisburn.

Living in Manchester is roughly 21% more expensive than Lisburn, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manchester 100% above, Lisburn 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.33 £15.06

$24.71 £18.31

-17.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.4 £71.5

$85.2 £63.1

13.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 £8.00

$9.08 £6.73

18.83%

Cappuccino

$5.04 £3.74

$4.69 £3.48

7.46%

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

$2.59 £1.92

$1.98 £1.47

30.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 £1.25

$1.83 £1.35

-7.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 £5.49

$8.33 £6.17

-11.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.52 £5.57

$7.25 £5.37

3.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 £1.25

$1.92 £1.43

-11.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 £1.29

$2.23 £1.65

-21.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 £1.66

$4.13 £3.06

-45.76%

Eggs

$4.11 £3.04

$3.85 £2.85

6.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.17 £9.01

$10.12 £7.50

20.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 £6.92

$8.99 £6.66

3.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.36 £12.86

$14.00 £10.37

24.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 £2.39

$3.15 £2.33

2.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 £1.31

$1.58 £1.17

12.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.94 £2.92

$2.88 £2.14

36.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 £3.23

$3.45 £2.56

26.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 £1.55

$1.63 £1.21

28.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.55 £1.15

20.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 £0.97

$1.11 £0.82

18.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 £1.05

$1.51 £1.12

-5.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.92 £14.02

$19.12 £14.17

-1.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.72 £7.94

$10.73 £7.95

-0.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 £1.87

$2.77 £2.05

-8.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 £2.57

$3.08 £2.29

12.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 £2.05

$3.32 £2.46

-16.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$122 £90.1

$88.0 £65.2

38.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.52 £4.09

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.94 £2.18

$1.54 £1.14

90.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.51 £24.83

$22.75 £16.85

47.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 £1.47

$2.40 £1.78

-17.50%

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

$38.9K £28.8K

0.13%

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

$41.2K £30.5K

$41.5K £30.7K

-0.57%

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

$296 £219

$293 £217

0.90%

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

$22.89 £16.96

$17.46 £12.94

31.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.45 £32.20

$42.45 £31.46

2.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.06 £31.16

$45.81 £33.94

-8.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.93 £11.80

Cinema Ticket

$13.43 £9.95

$13.86 £10.27

-3.10%

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

$1,956 £1,450

$1,602 £1,187

22.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K £15.5K

$18.0K £13.3K

16.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 £67.2

$84.0 £62.3

7.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.37 £30.66

$43.09 £31.93

-3.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 £66.1

$93.7 £69.4

-4.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 £80.3

$99.9 £74.0

8.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,640 £1,216

$1,214 £899

35.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 £931

$887 £658

41.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,700 £2,001

$2,023 £1,499

33.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,083 £1,543

$1,680 £1,245

23.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,717 £3,495

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,596 £3,405

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,399 £2,519

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.63

5.15%

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

Last update for Manchester: April 14, 2026

Last update for Lisburn: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,640 in Manchester and $1,214 in Lisburn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $96 in Manchester vs $85 in Lisburn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $317 per month, with Lisburn 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 Lisburn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisburn wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Manchester. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lisburn the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,045 in Manchester and $3,335 in Lisburn to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,640 in Manchester versus $1,214 in Lisburn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,956 in Manchester versus $1,602 in Lisburn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Manchester. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,223 in Lisburn versus $2,696 in Manchester, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lisburn but tight or insufficient in Manchester. The gap between the two cities makes Lisburn the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lisburn delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,223 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisburn hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Manchester and Lisburn 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 Lisburn gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Manchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.