Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Scarborough

For one person, living is cheaper in Scarborough: $2,130 a month against $2,532 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 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
103

Cost of Living Index in Scarborough
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Scarborough Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,532

/mo nomad

Scarborough

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,130

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Scarborough

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

A single person spends $2,532 per month in Manchester vs $2,130 in Scarborough, rent included.

Manchester $2,532
Scarborough $2,130

A couple spends around $3,686 per month in Manchester vs $3,096 in Scarborough, rent included.

Manchester $3,686
Scarborough $3,096

A family of three spends $4,839 per month in Manchester vs $4,062 in Scarborough, rent included.

Manchester $4,839
Scarborough $4,062

Manchester costs about 19% more than Scarborough, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manchester and Scarborough sit above the global median – Manchester by 87%, Scarborough by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 £15.18

$15.36 £11.53

31.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.1 £65.3

$71.1 £53.4

22.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 £8.12

$12.12 £9.09

-10.64%

Cappuccino

$4.81 £3.61

$3.51 £2.63

37.04%

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

$2.44 £1.83

$2.05 £1.53

19.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.02 £0.77

58.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 £5.87

$4.58 £3.44

70.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 £4.86

$4.29 £3.22

51.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 £1.09

$1.29 £0.97

12.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 £1.47

$1.37 £1.03

42.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 £1.40

$1.08 £0.81

72.22%

Eggs

$4.05 £3.04

$3.60 £2.70

12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.76 £7.32

$7.92 £5.94

23.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 £6.83

$7.18 £5.39

26.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 £11.64

$13.94 £10.46

11.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 £2.40

$3.13 £2.35

2.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 £1.14

$1.99 £1.49

-23.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 £2.26

$2.65 £1.99

13.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 £2.51

$2.09 £1.57

59.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 £1.17

$1.74 £1.30

-10.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 £0.98

$1.62 £1.21

-19.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 £0.92

$1.15 £0.87

6.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 £0.96

$1.91 £1.43

-32.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.68 £17.77

$22.58 £16.94

4.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.16

$9.59 £7.19

13.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 £1.91

$3.65 £2.74

-30.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 £2.36

$3.60 £2.70

-12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £2.01

$3.30 £2.48

-18.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 £79.1

$86.0 £64.5

22.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 £3.31

$5.73 £4.30

-22.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 £1.65

$4.97 £3.73

-55.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 £22.85

$33.58 £25.19

-9.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 £1.53

$1.98 £1.48

3.03%

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

$39.2K £29.4K

$36.0K £27.0K

8.87%

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

$40.3K £30.2K

$39.9K £29.9K

0.90%

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

$252 £189

$356 £267

-29.32%

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

$16.62 £12.47

$25.99 £19.50

-36.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.61 £30.47

$32.74 £24.56

24.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 £41.32

$66.1 £49.59

-16.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.02 £13.52

$12.67 £9.50

42.23%

Cinema Ticket

$13.26 £9.95

$10.66 £7.99

24.39%

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

$1,252 £939

$1,804 £1,353

-30.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K £14.9K

$14.7K £11.1K

35.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.2 £63.2

$66.3 £49.73

26.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.72 £32.05

$35.54 £26.66

20.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 £69.2

$108 £81.3

-14.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.8

$114 £85.2

-6.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 £1,342

$867 £651

106.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 £932

$831 £624

49.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,014 £2,261

$1,524 £1,143

97.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 £1,471

$1,365 £1,024

43.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,552 £3,415

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,349 £3,262

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,460 £2,596

$910 £683

280.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

5.53

-12.84%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 18, 2026

Last update for Scarborough: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.2K 49.1%

Scarborough

$831 39% 33.1% $411

Eating Out

Manchester

$320 12.7%

Scarborough

$245 11.5% 23.5% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$309 12.2%

Scarborough

$415 19.5% 34.3% $106

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$301 11.9%

Scarborough

$276 13% 8.3% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$146 5.8%

Scarborough

$146 6.8% 0.6% $0.8

Getting Around

Manchester

$132 5.2%

Scarborough

$130 6.1% 1.3% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$82 3.2%

Scarborough

$87 4.1% 7.1% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,789 in Manchester versus $867 in Scarborough. 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 280% 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 $71.0 in Scarborough. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $301 vs $276 – making Scarborough the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Scarborough

🕒 Local time

06:42 6:42 AM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

61,749

💱 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

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Manchester Scarborough 150 km

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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 Scarborough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manchester is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,798 per month in Manchester and $3,195 in Scarborough. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Scarborough, 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 $1,804 in Scarborough. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Manchester, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Scarborough, where all-in costs run around $2,130, than in Manchester at $2,532. In Scarborough it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manchester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Scarborough. 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.