Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Oxford

For one person, living is cheaper in Manchester: $2,499 a month against $3,210 in Oxford, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 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
153

Cost of Living Index in Oxford
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Oxford Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Oxford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$3,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Oxford

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

A single person spends $2,499 per month in Manchester vs $3,210 in Oxford, rent included.

Manchester $2,499
Oxford $3,210

A couple spends around $3,623 per month in Manchester vs $4,477 in Oxford, rent included.

Manchester $3,623
Oxford $4,477

A family of three spends $4,747 per month in Manchester vs $5,743 in Oxford, rent included.

Manchester $4,747
Oxford $5,743

Manchester is about 22% cheaper than Oxford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manchester and Oxford sit above the global median – Manchester by 84%, Oxford by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 £15.08

$24.95 £18.61

-18.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.0 £64.1

$104 £77.5

-17.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.74 £8.01

$10.60 £7.90

1.32%

Cappuccino

$4.68 £3.49

$4.94 £3.68

-5.26%

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

$2.44 £1.82

$4.46 £3.32

-45.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 £1.21

$2.19 £1.64

-26.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 £5.80

$9.04 £6.74

-13.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 £5.00

$8.55 £6.38

-21.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.69 £1.26

-10.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.70 £1.26

10.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.97 £1.47

-1.52%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.04

$4.06 £3.03

0.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 £7.16

$13.74 £10.25

-30.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 £6.70

$8.58 £6.40

4.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 £11.49

$14.83 £11.06

3.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.30

$3.33 £2.49

-7.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.70 £1.26

-7.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 £2.20

$3.01 £2.24

-1.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$3.73 £2.78

-10.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 £1.13

$1.73 £1.29

-12.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 £1.00

$1.76 £1.31

-23.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

$1.21 £0.90

4.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 £0.92

$1.61 £1.20

-23.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.05 £17.93

$23.70 £17.67

1.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.12

$11.30 £8.43

-3.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 £1.81

$3.26 £2.43

-25.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.36

$3.39 £2.53

-6.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 £2.04

$3.89 £2.90

-29.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 £80.4

$110 £81.9

-1.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 £3.37

$4.98 £3.71

-9.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 £1.65

$3.18 £2.37

-30.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.82 £22.98

$42.14 £31.42

-26.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.59

$2.11 £1.57

1.42%

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

$38.5K £28.7K

$38.4K £28.7K

0.07%

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

$40.0K £29.9K

$41.1K £30.7K

-2.60%

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

$252 £188

$361 £269

-30.06%

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

$16.23 £12.10

$18.08 £13.48

-10.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.58 £29.51

$44.18 £32.94

-10.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.67 £31.81

$41.85 £31.20

1.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.05 £13.46

$11.49 £8.56

57.09%

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 £10.02

$16.03 £11.95

-16.16%

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

$1,494 £1,114

$2,254 £1,680

-33.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K £14.7K

$15.2K £11.4K

29.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 £62.3

$98.8 £73.7

-15.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.97 £32.04

$46.09 £34.36

-6.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 £70.8

$102 £76.3

-7.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.0

$104 £77.6

1.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,785 £1,331

$2,187 £1,631

-18.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 £911

$1,706 £1,272

-28.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,930 £2,185

$3,231 £2,409

-9.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 £1,416

$2,464 £1,837

-22.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,668 £3,480

$8,794 £6,556

-46.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,397 £3,278

$6,600 £4,921

-33.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,395 £2,531

$4,032 £3,006

-15.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

4.79

0.63%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 25, 2026

Last update for Oxford: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.2K 48.9%

Oxford

$1.7K 53.2% 39.6% $484

Eating Out

Manchester

$319 12.8%

Oxford

$380 11.8% 19.1% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$308 12.3%

Oxford

$423 13.2% 37.3% $115

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$299 12%

Oxford

$323 10.1% 8% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$147 5.9%

Oxford

$158 4.9% 7.3% $11

Getting Around

Manchester

$134 5.4%

Oxford

$146 4.6% 8.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$70 2.8%

Oxford

$74 2.3% 6.3% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,785 in Manchester versus $2,187 in Oxford. 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 19% higher in Oxford, 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 $86 in Manchester versus $104 in Oxford. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $299 vs $323 – making Manchester the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Oxford

🕒 Local time

21:29 9:29 PM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

165,000

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Manchester Oxford 200 km

From you

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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 Oxford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,749 per month in Manchester and $4,815 in Oxford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manchester, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,785 there versus $2,187 in Oxford.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,499 in Manchester and $3,210 in Oxford. That makes Manchester about 22% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,494 per month in Manchester and $2,254 in Oxford. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Manchester – 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 Manchester. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Oxford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.