Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Scunthorpe

For one person, living is cheaper in Scunthorpe: $2,096 a month against $2,532 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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
102

Cost of Living Index in Scunthorpe
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Scunthorpe Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,532

/mo nomad

Scunthorpe

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,096

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Scunthorpe

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

A single person spends $2,532 per month in Manchester vs $2,096 in Scunthorpe, rent included.

Manchester $2,532
Scunthorpe $2,096

A couple spends around $3,686 per month in Manchester vs $2,819 in Scunthorpe, rent included.

Manchester $3,686
Scunthorpe $2,819

A family of three spends $4,839 per month in Manchester vs $3,541 in Scunthorpe, rent included.

Manchester $4,839
Scunthorpe $3,541

Manchester costs about 21% more than Scunthorpe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manchester and Scunthorpe sit above the global median – Manchester by 87%, Scunthorpe by 55%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 £15.18

$13.09 £9.82

54.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.1 £65.3

$89.2 £66.9

-2.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 £8.12

$10.45 £7.84

3.64%

Cappuccino

$4.81 £3.61

$4.03 £3.03

19.35%

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

$2.44 £1.83

$1.93 £1.44

26.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.22 £0.92

32.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 £5.87

$5.18 £3.89

50.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 £4.86

$6.69 £5.02

-3.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 £1.09

$1.46 £1.09

-0.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 £1.47

$1.58 £1.18

23.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 £1.40

$1.55 £1.16

20.00%

Eggs

$4.05 £3.04

$3.75 £2.81

8.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.76 £7.32

$5.36 £4.02

82.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 £6.83

$5.19 £3.89

75.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 £11.64

$7.17 £5.38

116.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 £2.40

$2.28 £1.71

40.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 £1.14

$1.88 £1.41

-19.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 £2.26

$2.42 £1.81

24.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 £2.51

$4.73 £3.55

-29.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 £1.17

$0.84 £0.63

84.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 £0.98

$0.91 £0.69

42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 £0.92

$1.02 £0.77

19.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 £0.96

$1.39 £1.04

-7.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.68 £17.77

$17.81 £13.36

32.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.16

$8.22 £6.17

32.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 £1.91

$3.94 £2.95

-35.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 £2.36

$4.70 £3.52

-32.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £2.01

$3.64 £2.73

-26.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 £79.1

$96.4 £72.3

9.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 £3.31

$4.49 £3.37

-1.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 £1.65

$2.72 £2.04

-19.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 £22.85

$8.01 £6.01

280.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 £1.53

$2.10 £1.58

-2.86%

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

$39.2K £29.4K

$38.3K £28.8K

2.16%

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

$40.3K £30.2K

$40.8K £30.6K

-1.28%

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

$252 £189

$202 £151

24.69%

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

$16.62 £12.47

$16.90 £12.68

-1.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.61 £30.47

$45.68 £34.27

-11.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 £41.32

$95.1 £71.3

-42.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.02 £13.52

Cinema Ticket

$13.26 £9.95

$8.73 £6.55

51.89%

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

$1,252 £939

$1,643 £1,232

-23.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K £14.9K

$16.4K £12.3K

21.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.2 £63.2

$39.68 £29.77

112.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.72 £32.05

$20.18 £15.14

111.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 £69.2

$77.2 £57.9

19.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.8

$78.1 £58.6

36.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 £1,342

$1,216 £912

47.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 £932

$1,015 £762

22.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,014 £2,261

$1,284 £963

134.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 £1,471

$1,095 £821

79.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,552 £3,415

$5,464 £4,099

-16.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,349 £3,262

$4,050 £3,039

7.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,460 £2,596

$1,942 £1,457

78.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

5.61

-14.08%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 18, 2026

Last update for Scunthorpe: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.2K 49.1%

Scunthorpe

$1K 48.4% 18.3% $227

Eating Out

Manchester

$320 12.7%

Scunthorpe

$236 11.3% 26.2% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$309 12.2%

Scunthorpe

$264 12.6% 14.4% $44

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$301 11.9%

Scunthorpe

$242 11.5% 19.7% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$146 5.8%

Scunthorpe

$97 4.6% 33.9% $50

Getting Around

Manchester

$132 5.2%

Scunthorpe

$129 6.2% 1.9% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$82 3.2%

Scunthorpe

$113 5.4% 37.9% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,789 in Manchester versus $1,216 in Scunthorpe. 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 78% 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 $89.0 in Scunthorpe. Groceries tell a different story – $301 in Manchester vs $242 in Scunthorpe – so Scunthorpe wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Scunthorpe

🕒 Local time

10:19 10:19 AM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

81,576

💱 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

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Manchester Scunthorpe 110 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 Scunthorpe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manchester is pricier by about 21%, 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 $3,144 in Scunthorpe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Scunthorpe, 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 $1,643 in Scunthorpe. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% 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 $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Scunthorpe, where all-in costs run around $2,096, than in Manchester at $2,532. In Scunthorpe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manchester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Scunthorpe – 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 Scunthorpe. 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.