Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Portsmouth

For one person, living is cheaper in Manchester: $2,499 a month against $2,765 in Portsmouth, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Portsmouth outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

121

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Portsmouth
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Portsmouth Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Portsmouth

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,765

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Portsmouth

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

A single person spends $2,499 per month in Manchester vs $2,765 in Portsmouth, rent included.

Manchester $2,499
Portsmouth $2,765

A couple spends around $3,623 per month in Manchester vs $3,781 in Portsmouth, rent included.

Manchester $3,623
Portsmouth $3,781

A family of three spends $4,747 per month in Manchester vs $4,798 in Portsmouth, rent included.

Manchester $4,747
Portsmouth $4,798

Manchester is about 10% cheaper than Portsmouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manchester and Portsmouth sit above the global median – Manchester by 84%, Portsmouth by 103%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 £15.17

$20.08 £15.07

0.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.0 £64.5

$66.5 £49.86

29.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.74 £8.06

$10.54 £7.91

1.90%

Cappuccino

$4.68 £3.51

$4.78 £3.58

-2.09%

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

$2.44 £1.83

$2.74 £2.06

-10.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 £1.22

$2.31 £1.73

-29.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 £5.84

$6.28 £4.72

23.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 £5.03

$5.85 £4.39

14.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 £1.13

$1.39 £1.04

8.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 £1.41

$1.61 £1.21

16.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 £1.46

$3.67 £2.75

-47.14%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.06

$3.46 £2.59

17.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 £7.21

$13.49 £10.12

-28.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 £6.74

$8.16 £6.12

10.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 £11.56

$13.18 £9.89

16.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.32

$3.89 £2.92

-20.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.93 £1.45

-18.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 £2.21

$2.92 £2.19

1.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 £2.52

$3.38 £2.54

-0.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 £1.14

$1.67 £1.25

-9.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 £1.01

$1.67 £1.26

-19.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.95

$1.21 £0.91

4.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 £0.92

$1.47 £1.10

-16.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.05 £18.04

$22.69 £17.02

5.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.17

$11.13 £8.35

-2.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 £1.82

$3.13 £2.35

-22.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.38

$2.16 £1.62

46.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 £2.05

$3.94 £2.95

-30.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 £81.0

$86.3 £64.8

25.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 £3.39

$5.31 £3.98

-14.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 £1.66

$1.54 £1.15

44.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.82 £23.13

$19.93 £14.95

54.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.60

$2.09 £1.57

2.39%

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

$38.5K £28.9K

-0.14%

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

$40.0K £30.1K

$41.1K £30.8K

-2.51%

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

$252 £189

$661 £496

-61.80%

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

$16.23 £12.17

$15.19 £11.40

6.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.58 £29.70

$43.05 £32.30

-8.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.67 £32.02

$34.53 £25.91

23.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.05 £13.55

$17.24 £12.94

4.70%

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 £10.08

$10.80 £8.10

24.44%

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

$1,494 £1,121

$1,602 £1,202

-6.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K £14.8K

$20.0K £15.0K

-1.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 £62.7

$91.2 £68.4

-8.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.97 £32.24

$39.80 £29.87

7.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 £71.3

$100 £75.3

-5.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.5

$119 £89.6

-11.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,785 £1,340

$1,493 £1,120

19.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 £917

$1,092 £819

11.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,930 £2,199

$2,146 £1,610

36.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 £1,425

$1,669 £1,252

13.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,668 £3,503

$4,574 £3,432

2.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,397 £3,299

$3,680 £2,761

19.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,395 £2,547

$3,397 £2,549

-0.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

5.16

-6.59%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 25, 2026

Last update for Portsmouth: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.2K 48.9%

Portsmouth

$1.1K 39.5% 10.7% $131

Eating Out

Manchester

$319 12.8%

Portsmouth

$313 11.3% 1.8% $5.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$308 12.3%

Portsmouth

$719 26% 133% $411

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$299 12%

Portsmouth

$312 11.3% 4.4% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$147 5.9%

Portsmouth

$158 5.7% 7.1% $11

Getting Around

Manchester

$134 5.4%

Portsmouth

$115 4.2% 14.4% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$70 2.8%

Portsmouth

$56 2% 19.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,785 in Manchester versus $1,493 in Portsmouth. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Manchester versus $66 in Portsmouth. Groceries tell a different story – $299 in Manchester vs $312 in Portsmouth – so Manchester wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Portsmouth

🕒 Local time

01:04 1:04 AM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

198,974

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manchester Portsmouth 310 km

From you

Manchester
Portsmouth

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 Portsmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Portsmouth is pricier by about 11%, 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 $4,147 in Portsmouth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Portsmouth, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,493 there versus $1,785 in Manchester.

Kindergarten costs $1,494 per month in Manchester and $1,602 in Portsmouth. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Portsmouth, though the gap depends on what you buy.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Manchester costs $2,499 versus $2,765 in Portsmouth. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.