Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Poole

For one person, living is cheaper in Manchester: $2,499 a month against $2,641 in Poole, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 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
127

Cost of Living Index in Poole
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Poole Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Poole

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Poole

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

A single person spends $2,499 per month in Manchester vs $2,641 in Poole, rent included.

Manchester $2,499
Poole $2,641

A couple spends around $3,623 per month in Manchester vs $3,917 in Poole, rent included.

Manchester $3,623
Poole $3,917

A family of three spends $4,747 per month in Manchester vs $5,193 in Poole, rent included.

Manchester $4,747
Poole $5,193

Manchester is about 5% cheaper than Poole, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Manchester and Poole sit above the global median – Manchester by 84%, Poole by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 £15.10

$23.28 £17.38

-13.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.0 £64.2

$102 £75.9

-15.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.74 £8.02

$10.75 £8.03

-0.09%

Cappuccino

$4.68 £3.49

$5.19 £3.87

-9.83%

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

$2.44 £1.82

$3.08 £2.30

-20.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 £1.21

$2.25 £1.68

-28.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 £5.81

$6.86 £5.12

13.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 £5.00

$7.08 £5.29

-5.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.70 £1.27

-11.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 £1.41

$1.56 £1.16

20.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 £1.45

$2.25 £1.68

-13.78%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.04

$4.21 £3.14

-3.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 £7.17

$6.50 £4.85

47.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 £6.71

$10.76 £8.03

-16.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 £11.51

$12.70 £9.48

21.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.31

$2.26 £1.69

36.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.73 £1.29

-8.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 £2.20

$1.95 £1.46

51.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$2.16 £1.62

55.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 £1.13

$2.03 £1.51

-25.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 £1.01

$1.50 £1.12

-10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

$1.78 £1.33

-29.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 £0.92

$1.92 £1.43

-35.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.05 £17.95

$23.87 £17.82

0.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.13

$9.72 £7.26

11.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 £1.81

$3.01 £2.25

-19.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.36

$2.46 £1.84

28.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 £2.04

$3.89 £2.90

-29.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 £80.6

$76.0 £56.7

42.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 £3.37

$3.28 £2.45

37.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 £1.66

$2.45 £1.83

-9.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.82 £23.01

$21.62 £16.15

42.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.60

$2.03 £1.52

5.42%

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

$38.5K £28.7K

$39.1K £29.2K

-1.52%

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

$40.0K £29.9K

$40.5K £30.3K

-1.21%

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

$252 £189

$359 £268

-29.66%

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

$16.23 £12.12

$20.32 £15.17

-20.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.58 £29.56

$43.31 £32.33

-8.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.67 £31.86

$80.8 £60.4

-47.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.05 £13.48

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 £10.04

$20.54 £15.34

-34.57%

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

$1,494 £1,116

$2,128 £1,589

-29.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K £14.7K

$33.8K £25.2K

-41.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 £62.4

$87.6 £65.4

-4.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.97 £32.09

$39.27 £29.32

9.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 £70.9

$102 £75.9

-6.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.1

$83.8 £62.6

26.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,785 £1,333

$1,176 £878

51.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 £913

$1,210 £903

1.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,930 £2,188

$2,272 £1,697

28.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 £1,418

$2,093 £1,563

-9.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,668 £3,486

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,397 £3,283

$2,119 £1,582

107.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,395 £2,535

$3,307 £2,469

2.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

4.96

-2.82%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 25, 2026

Last update for Poole: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.2K 48.9%

Poole

$1.2K 45.8% 1% $13

Eating Out

Manchester

$319 12.8%

Poole

$351 13.3% 10% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$308 12.3%

Poole

$423 16% 37.1% $114

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$299 12%

Poole

$289 10.9% 3.3% $9.9

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$147 5.9%

Poole

$141 5.3% 4.6% $6.8

Getting Around

Manchester

$134 5.4%

Poole

$107 4.1% 20.4% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$70 2.8%

Poole

$122 4.6% 75.3% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,785 in Manchester versus $1,176 in Poole. 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 3% higher in Manchester, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Manchester versus $102 in Poole. Groceries tell a different story – $299 in Manchester vs $289 in Poole – so Poole wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Poole

🕒 Local time

03:10 3:10 AM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

154,718

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manchester Poole 310 km

From you

Manchester
Poole

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 Poole: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Poole is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,749 per month in Manchester and $3,961 in Poole. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Poole, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,176 there versus $1,785 in Manchester.

Kindergarten costs $1,494 per month in Manchester and $2,128 in Poole. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Poole – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

It depends on your priorities. Manchester has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,499 in Manchester to $2,641 in Poole. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.