Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Merthyr Tydfil

For one person, living is cheaper in Merthyr Tydfil: $2,104 a month against $2,499 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Merthyr Tydfil
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Merthyr Tydfil Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Merthyr Tydfil

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,104

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Merthyr Tydfil

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

A single person spends $2,499 per month in Manchester vs $2,104 in Merthyr Tydfil, rent included.

Manchester $2,499
Merthyr Tydfil $2,104

A couple spends around $3,623 per month in Manchester vs $2,907 in Merthyr Tydfil, rent included.

Manchester $3,623
Merthyr Tydfil $2,907

A family of three spends $4,747 per month in Manchester vs $3,710 in Merthyr Tydfil, rent included.

Manchester $4,747
Merthyr Tydfil $3,710

Manchester costs about 19% more than Merthyr Tydfil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manchester and Merthyr Tydfil sit above the global median – Manchester by 84%, Merthyr Tydfil by 55%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 £15.11

$24.24 £18.11

-16.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.0 £64.3

$61.5 £45.94

39.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.74 £8.02

$10.48 £7.83

2.48%

Cappuccino

$4.68 £3.50

$4.68 £3.49

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

$2.44 £1.82

$2.61 £1.95

-6.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.65 £1.23

-1.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 £5.81

$6.19 £4.63

25.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 £5.01

$5.55 £4.14

20.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.42 £1.06

6.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 £1.41

$0.64 £0.48

193.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.66 £1.24

16.87%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.04

$4.02 £3.00

1.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 £7.18

$8.55 £6.39

12.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 £6.71

$8.92 £6.66

0.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 £11.51

$13.33 £9.96

15.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.31

$2.61 £1.95

18.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.80 £1.35

-12.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 £2.20

$2.61 £1.95

13.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$3.10 £2.32

8.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 £1.13

$1.23 £0.92

22.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 £1.01

$1.31 £0.98

3.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

$1.20 £0.90

5.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 £0.92

$1.08 £0.81

13.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.05 £17.96

$23.69 £17.69

1.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.13

$10.65 £7.96

2.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 £1.81

$2.90 £2.17

-16.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.37

$3.51 £2.62

-9.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 £2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 £80.6

$96.7 £72.2

11.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 £3.37

$3.44 £2.57

31.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 £1.66

$1.66 £1.24

33.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.82 £23.03

$27.13 £20.27

13.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.60

$2.18 £1.63

-1.83%

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

$38.5K £28.7K

$38.7K £28.9K

-0.53%

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

$40.0K £29.9K

$40.8K £30.4K

-1.73%

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

$252 £189

$326 £244

-22.61%

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

$16.23 £12.12

$13.16 £9.84

23.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.58 £29.57

$36.78 £27.48

7.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.67 £31.88

$40.41 £30.19

5.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.05 £13.49

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 £10.04

$7.94 £5.93

69.27%

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

$1,494 £1,116

$2,350 £1,756

-36.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K £14.7K

$25.2K £18.8K

-21.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 £62.4

$100 £75.0

-16.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.97 £32.10

$48.24 £36.04

-10.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 £71.0

$108 £80.8

-12.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.1

$99.4 £74.3

6.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,785 £1,334

$789 £589

126.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 £913

$792 £592

54.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,930 £2,189

$1,153 £862

154.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 £1,419

$1,007 £752

88.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,668 £3,487

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,397 £3,285

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,395 £2,536

$1,572 £1,175

115.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

4.87

-1.03%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 25, 2026

Last update for Merthyr Tydfil: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.2K 48.9%

Merthyr Tydfil

$792 37.6% 35.2% $431

Eating Out

Manchester

$319 12.8%

Merthyr Tydfil

$341 16.2% 6.9% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$308 12.3%

Merthyr Tydfil

$376 17.9% 22% $68

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$299 12%

Merthyr Tydfil

$270 12.9% 9.5% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$147 5.9%

Merthyr Tydfil

$160 7.6% 8.8% $13

Getting Around

Manchester

$134 5.4%

Merthyr Tydfil

$108 * 5.2% 19.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$70 2.8%

Merthyr Tydfil

$56 2.7% 19.1% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,785 in Manchester versus $789 in Merthyr Tydfil. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Manchester are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Manchester versus $61 in Merthyr Tydfil. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $299 vs $270 – making Merthyr Tydfil the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Merthyr Tydfil

🕒 Local time

04:13 4:13 AM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

43,820

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Merthyr Tydfil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manchester is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,749 per month in Manchester and $3,156 in Merthyr Tydfil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Merthyr Tydfil, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $789 there versus $1,785 in Manchester.

Kindergarten costs $1,494 per month in Manchester and $2,350 in Merthyr Tydfil. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Manchester, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,499 in Manchester and $2,104 in Merthyr Tydfil, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Manchester has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,104 in Merthyr Tydfil to $2,499 in Manchester. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Merthyr Tydfil. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manchester makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.