Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Liverpool Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Liverpool

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,631 per month in Manchester vs $2,107 in Liverpool, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,842 per month in Manchester vs $3,175 in Liverpool, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,053 per month in Manchester vs $4,243 in Liverpool, rent included.

Manchester costs about 25% more than Liverpool, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Manchester and Liverpool sit above the global median – Manchester by 97%, Liverpool by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.34 £15.07

$21.32 £15.80

-4.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.0 £70.4

$96.2 £71.3

-1.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 £8.09

$9.35 £6.93

16.79%

Cappuccino

$4.98 £3.69

$4.62 £3.43

7.79%

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

$2.62 £1.94

$2.22 £1.64

18.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 £1.30

$1.50 £1.11

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.38 £5.47

$6.64 £4.92

11.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 £5.49

$6.06 £4.49

22.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 £1.21

$1.71 £1.27

-4.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.58 £1.17

7.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 £1.61

$2.16 £1.60

0.93%

Eggs

$3.94 £2.92

$3.90 £2.89

1.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.35 £9.15

$8.25 £6.11

49.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 £7.30

$9.01 £6.68

9.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.45 £12.93

$15.39 £11.40

13.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 £2.37

$2.83 £2.09

13.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 £1.32

$1.58 £1.17

13.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 £2.93

$2.58 £1.92

53.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 £3.17

$3.56 £2.64

20.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 £1.50

$1.85 £1.37

9.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.80 £1.34

3.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.93

$1.22 £0.91

3.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 £1.10

$1.27 £0.94

17.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.70 £13.86

$20.33 £15.06

-8.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.54 £7.81

$10.80 £8.00

-2.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 £1.81

$3.13 £2.32

-22.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 £2.56

$2.76 £2.04

25.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 £2.00

$2.76 £2.05

-2.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 £89.3

$96.8 £71.8

24.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 £4.00

$4.17 £3.09

29.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.97 £2.20

$1.36 £1.01

118.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.45 £24.79

$15.98 £11.84

109.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.40

$1.88 £1.40

1.06%

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

$38.2K £28.3K

$39.0K £28.9K

-2.19%

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

$40.5K £30.0K

$37.9K £28.1K

6.61%

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

$296 £219

$286 £212

3.64%

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

$22.50 £16.68

$18.22 £13.50

23.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.57 £32.28

$41.86 £31.02

4.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.22 £30.54

$37.34 £27.67

10.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.49 £11.48

$16.72 £12.39

-7.36%

Cinema Ticket

$13.83 £10.25

$17.69 £13.11

-21.82%

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

$1,971 £1,461

$1,654 £1,226

19.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K £15.9K

$16.3K £12.1K

31.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.1 £66.7

$88.2 £65.3

2.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.94 £31.08

$51.4 £38.08

-18.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 £65.7

$128 £94.9

-30.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 £79.6

$132 £98.0

-18.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,625 £1,204

$1,217 £902

33.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 £930

$780 £578

60.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 £1,975

$2,428 £1,799

9.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,052 £1,520

$1,305 £967

57.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,750 £3,520

$3,907 £2,895

21.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,542 £3,366

$2,608 £1,933

74.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,392 £2,513

$3,198 £2,369

6.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.76

2.78%

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

Last update for Manchester: April 27, 2026

Last update for Liverpool: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,625 in Manchester versus $1,217 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 $95.0 in Manchester versus $96.0 in Liverpool. Groceries tell a different story – $333 in Manchester vs $297 in Liverpool – so Liverpool wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 25% more than Liverpool, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,947 per month in Manchester and $3,161 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 $1,971 per month in Manchester and $1,654 in Liverpool. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Liverpool, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Manchester at $2,631. 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 $2,107 versus $2,631 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.