Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Liverpool

For one person, living is cheaper in Liverpool: $2,210 a month against $2,532 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Manchester outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

123

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Liverpool
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Liverpool Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,532

/mo nomad

Liverpool

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Liverpool

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

A single person spends $2,532 per month in Manchester vs $2,210 in Liverpool, rent included.

Manchester $2,532
Liverpool $2,210

A couple spends around $3,686 per month in Manchester vs $3,276 in Liverpool, rent included.

Manchester $3,686
Liverpool $3,276

A family of three spends $4,839 per month in Manchester vs $4,343 in Liverpool, rent included.

Manchester $4,839
Liverpool $4,343

Manchester costs about 15% more than Liverpool, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manchester and Liverpool sit above the global median – Manchester by 87%, Liverpool by 63%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 £15.18

$25.52 £19.15

-20.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.1 £65.3

$106 £79.3

-17.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 £8.12

$10.40 £7.81

4.13%

Cappuccino

$4.81 £3.61

$4.93 £3.70

-2.43%

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

$2.44 £1.83

$2.37 £1.78

2.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.83 £1.37

-11.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 £5.87

$6.78 £5.08

15.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 £4.86

$6.63 £4.97

-2.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 £1.09

$1.80 £1.35

-19.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 £1.47

$1.66 £1.24

17.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 £1.40

$2.22 £1.66

-16.22%

Eggs

$4.05 £3.04

$3.70 £2.77

9.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.76 £7.32

$8.25 £6.19

18.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 £6.83

$8.47 £6.36

7.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 £11.64

$14.07 £10.55

10.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 £2.40

$2.86 £2.15

11.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 £1.14

$1.67 £1.25

-8.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 £2.26

$2.84 £2.13

6.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 £2.51

$2.95 £2.22

13.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 £1.17

$2.00 £1.50

-22.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 £0.98

$1.51 £1.13

-13.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 £0.92

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 £0.96

$1.64 £1.23

-21.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.68 £17.77

$23.39 £17.55

1.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.16

$9.85 £7.39

10.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 £1.91

$2.87 £2.15

-11.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 £2.36

$3.06 £2.30

2.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £2.01

$2.63 £1.97

1.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 £79.1

$106 £79.4

-0.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 £3.31

$4.92 £3.69

-10.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 £1.65

$2.69 £2.02

-18.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 £22.85

$22.23 £16.68

36.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 £1.53

$2.07 £1.55

-1.45%

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

$39.2K £29.4K

$38.3K £28.8K

2.15%

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

$40.3K £30.2K

$40.1K £30.1K

0.33%

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

$252 £189

$299 £225

-15.92%

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

$16.62 £12.47

$21.04 £15.79

-21.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.61 £30.47

$41.11 £30.84

-1.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 £41.32

$33.52 £25.15

64.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.02 £13.52

$17.06 £12.80

5.63%

Cinema Ticket

$13.26 £9.95

$19.11 £14.34

-30.61%

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

$1,252 £939

$1,770 £1,328

-29.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K £14.9K

$15.7K £11.8K

26.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.2 £63.2

$92.8 £69.7

-9.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.72 £32.05

$43.45 £32.60

-1.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 £69.2

$102 £76.4

-9.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.8

$103 £77.0

3.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 £1,342

$1,171 £879

52.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 £932

$838 £629

48.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,014 £2,261

$2,203 £1,653

36.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 £1,471

$1,251 £938

56.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,552 £3,415

$3,746 £2,810

21.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,349 £3,262

$2,632 £1,975

65.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,460 £2,596

$3,279 £2,460

5.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

5.15

-6.41%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 18, 2026

Last update for Liverpool: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.2K 49.1%

Liverpool

$838 37.9% 32.5% $404

Eating Out

Manchester

$320 12.7%

Liverpool

$358 16.2% 11.9% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$309 12.2%

Liverpool

$361 16.4% 17% $53

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$301 11.9%

Liverpool

$292 13.2% 3.1% $9.4

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$146 5.8%

Liverpool

$153 6.9% 4.7% $6.9

Getting Around

Manchester

$132 5.2%

Liverpool

$135 6.1% 2.4% $3.2

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$82 3.2%

Liverpool

$72 3.3% 12.1% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,789 in Manchester versus $1,171 in Liverpool. 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 6% 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 $87.0 in Manchester versus $106 in Liverpool. Groceries tell a different story – $301 in Manchester vs $292 in Liverpool – so Liverpool wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Liverpool

🕒 Local time

15:23 3:23 PM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

434,900

💱 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 Liverpool 50 km

From you

Manchester
Liverpool

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 Liverpool: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manchester costs about 15% more than Liverpool, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,798 per month in Manchester and $3,315 in Liverpool. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,252 per month in Manchester and $1,770 in Liverpool. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Liverpool, where all-in costs run around $2,210, than in Manchester at $2,532. In Liverpool it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manchester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Liverpool costs $2,210 versus $2,532 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 Liverpool. 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.