Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Rugby

For one person, living is cheaper in Rugby: $2,353 a month against $2,499 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Manchester outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

121

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Rugby
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Rugby Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Rugby

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,353

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Rugby

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

A single person spends $2,499 per month in Manchester vs $2,353 in Rugby, rent included.

Manchester $2,499
Rugby $2,353

A couple spends around $3,623 per month in Manchester vs $3,513 in Rugby, rent included.

Manchester $3,623
Rugby $3,513

A family of three spends $4,747 per month in Manchester vs $4,673 in Rugby, rent included.

Manchester $4,747
Rugby $4,673

Manchester costs about 6% more than Rugby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Manchester and Rugby sit above the global median – Manchester by 84%, Rugby by 73%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 £15.10

$19.95 £14.89

1.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.0 £64.2

$80.1 £59.8

7.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.74 £8.02

$9.38 £7.00

14.50%

Cappuccino

$4.68 £3.49

$5.02 £3.75

-6.77%

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

$2.44 £1.82

$2.07 £1.55

17.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.49 £1.11

8.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 £5.81

$6.13 £4.58

26.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 £5.00

$6.42 £4.79

4.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.72 £1.28

-12.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 £1.41

$1.82 £1.36

3.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 £1.45

$2.62 £1.96

-25.95%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.04

$3.93 £2.93

3.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 £7.17

$9.35 £6.98

2.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 £6.71

$7.92 £5.91

13.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 £11.51

$15.17 £11.33

1.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.31

$2.58 £1.93

19.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.77 £1.32

-10.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 £2.20

$2.49 £1.86

18.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$3.13 £2.34

7.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 £1.13

$1.64 £1.23

-7.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 £1.01

$1.79 £1.34

-24.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

$1.30 £0.97

-3.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 £0.92

$1.64 £1.23

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.05 £17.95

$22.48 £16.79

6.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.13

$11.88 £8.87

-8.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 £1.81

$3.74 £2.79

-35.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.36

$3.25 £2.43

-2.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 £2.04

$2.60 £1.94

5.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 £80.6

$96.6 £72.1

11.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 £3.37

$4.69 £3.50

-3.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 £1.66

$1.61 £1.20

37.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.82 £23.01

$24.12 £18.01

27.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.60

$2.02 £1.51

5.94%

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

$38.5K £28.7K

$38.4K £28.6K

0.29%

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

$40.0K £29.9K

$41.0K £30.6K

-2.20%

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

$252 £189

$269 £201

-6.16%

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

$16.23 £12.12

$20.01 £14.94

-18.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.58 £29.56

$46.65 £34.83

-15.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.67 £31.86

$57.7 £43.07

-26.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.05 £13.48

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 £10.04

$14.92 £11.14

-9.92%

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

$1,494 £1,116

$1,617 £1,207

-7.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K £14.7K

$22.3K £16.6K

-11.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 £62.4

$105 £78.3

-20.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.97 £32.09

$31.48 £23.51

36.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 £70.9

$82.6 £61.7

14.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.1

$114 £85.2

-7.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,785 £1,333

$1,117 £834

59.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 £913

$1,049 £783

16.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,930 £2,188

$1,799 £1,343

62.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 £1,418

$1,847 £1,379

2.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,668 £3,486

$5,050 £3,771

-7.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,397 £3,283

$3,853 £2,877

14.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,395 £2,535

$4,564 £3,408

-25.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

5.09

-5.30%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 25, 2026

Last update for Rugby: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.2K 48.9%

Rugby

$1K 44.6% 14.2% $174

Eating Out

Manchester

$319 12.8%

Rugby

$306 13% 4.1% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$308 12.3%

Rugby

$336 14.3% 8.9% $27

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$299 12%

Rugby

$306 13% 2.5% $7.5

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$147 5.9%

Rugby

$150 6.4% 1.7% $2.6

Getting Around

Manchester

$134 5.4%

Rugby

$120 5.1% 11% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$70 2.8%

Rugby

$88 3.7% 25.8% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,785 in Manchester versus $1,117 in Rugby. 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 34% higher in Rugby, 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 $80 in Rugby. Groceries tell a different story – $299 in Manchester vs $306 in Rugby – so Manchester wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Rugby

🕒 Local time

05:52 5:52 AM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

70,628

💱 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 Rugby 140 km

From you

Manchester
Rugby

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 Rugby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,749 per month in Manchester and $3,530 in Rugby. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rugby, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,117 there versus $1,785 in Manchester.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,499 in Manchester and $2,353 in Rugby. That makes Rugby about 6% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,494 per month in Manchester and $1,617 in Rugby. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Manchester has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,353 in Rugby to $2,499 in Manchester. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.