Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Oldham

For one person, living is cheaper in Oldham: $1,982 a month against $2,532 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 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
96

Cost of Living Index in Oldham
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Oldham Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,532

/mo nomad

Oldham

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$1,982

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Oldham

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

A single person spends $2,532 per month in Manchester vs $1,982 in Oldham, rent included.

Manchester $2,532
Oldham $1,982

A couple spends around $3,686 per month in Manchester vs $2,932 in Oldham, rent included.

Manchester $3,686
Oldham $2,932

A family of three spends $4,839 per month in Manchester vs $3,883 in Oldham, rent included.

Manchester $4,839
Oldham $3,883

Manchester costs about 28% more than Oldham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Manchester and Oldham sit above the global median – Manchester by 87%, Oldham by 46%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 £15.18

$19.67 £14.75

2.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.1 £65.3

$88.1 £66.1

-1.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 £8.12

$9.56 £7.17

13.28%

Cappuccino

$4.81 £3.61

$4.79 £3.59

0.42%

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

$2.44 £1.83

$2.93 £2.20

-16.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.99 £1.49

-18.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 £5.87

$7.24 £5.43

8.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 £4.86

$6.74 £5.06

-3.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 £1.09

$1.46 £1.10

-0.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 £1.47

$1.69 £1.27

15.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 £1.40

$2.95 £2.21

-36.95%

Eggs

$4.05 £3.04

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.76 £7.32

$9.83 £7.37

-0.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 £6.83

$8.81 £6.61

3.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 £11.64

$15.54 £11.66

-0.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 £2.40

$3.15 £2.36

1.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 £1.14

$1.86 £1.40

-18.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 £2.26

$2.85 £2.14

5.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 £2.51

$3.46 £2.59

-3.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 £1.17

$1.49 £1.11

4.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 £0.98

$1.60 £1.20

-18.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 £0.92

$1.20 £0.90

1.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 £0.96

$1.23 £0.92

4.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.68 £17.77

$23.63 £17.73

0.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.16

$10.86 £8.15

0.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 £1.91

$2.76 £2.07

-7.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 £2.36

$3.12 £2.34

0.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £2.01

$2.61 £1.96

2.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 £79.1

$95.7 £71.8

10.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 £3.31

$3.21 £2.41

37.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 £1.65

$2.02 £1.52

8.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 £22.85

$30.03 £22.53

1.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 £1.53

$2.12 £1.59

-3.77%

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

$39.2K £29.4K

$38.2K £28.7K

2.47%

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

$40.3K £30.2K

$39.8K £29.8K

1.22%

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

$252 £189

$251 £188

0.23%

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

$16.62 £12.47

$16.94 £12.71

-1.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.61 £30.47

$40.55 £30.43

0.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 £41.32

$43.14 £32.36

27.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.02 £13.52

Cinema Ticket

$13.26 £9.95

$13.18 £9.89

0.61%

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

$1,252 £939

$1,290 £968

-3.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K £14.9K

$19.7K £14.8K

0.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.2 £63.2

$87.1 £65.3

-3.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.72 £32.05

$41.43 £31.08

3.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 £69.2

$93.5 £70.2

-1.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.8

$87.3 £65.5

21.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 £1,342

$1,222 £917

46.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 £932

$728 £546

70.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,014 £2,261

$1,368 £1,026

120.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 £1,471

$1,093 £820

79.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,552 £3,415

$5,063 £3,798

-10.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,349 £3,262

$3,336 £2,503

30.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,460 £2,596

$2,483 £1,863

39.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

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

Last update for Manchester: October 18, 2026

Last update for Oldham: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.2K 49.1%

Oldham

$728 36.7% 41.4% $514

Eating Out

Manchester

$320 12.7%

Oldham

$313 15.8% 2.4% $7.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$309 12.2%

Oldham

$309 15.6% 0.1% $0.3

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$301 11.9%

Oldham

$304 15.4% 1% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$146 5.8%

Oldham

$139 7% 5% $7.3

Getting Around

Manchester

$132 5.2%

Oldham

$119 6% 9.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$82 3.2%

Oldham

$70 3.5% 14.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,789 in Manchester versus $1,222 in Oldham. 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 39% 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 $88.0 in Oldham. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $301 vs $304 – making Manchester the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Oldham

🕒 Local time

11:42 11:42 AM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

110,718

💱 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 Oldham 11 km

From you

Manchester
Oldham

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 Oldham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manchester is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,798 per month in Manchester and $2,972 in Oldham. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oldham, 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 $1,290 in Oldham. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Manchester – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Oldham, where all-in costs run around $1,982, than in Manchester at $2,532. In Oldham it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manchester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Oldham – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Oldham. 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.