Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Slough

For one person, living is cheaper in Manchester: $2,499 a month against $2,900 in Slough, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Manchester, United Kingdom
Slough, United Kingdom
Manchester
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,499
/mo nomad
Slough
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,900
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Slough

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

A single person spends $2,499 per month in Manchester vs $2,900 in Slough, rent included.

  • Manchester $2,499
  • Slough $2,900

A couple spends around $3,623 per month in Manchester vs $4,194 in Slough, rent included.

  • Manchester $3,623
  • Slough $4,194

A family of three spends $4,747 per month in Manchester vs $5,488 in Slough, rent included.

  • Manchester $4,747
  • Slough $5,488

Manchester is about 14% cheaper than Slough, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Manchester and Slough sit above the global median – Manchester by 84%, Slough by 113%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Manchester
Slough
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.22 £15.10
$24.10 £17.99
-16.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$86.0 £64.2
$81.2 £60.6
5.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.74 £8.02
$10.25 £7.65
4.78%
Cappuccino
$4.68 £3.49
$4.98 £3.72
-6.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 £1.82
$2.88 £2.15
-15.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.62 £1.21
$2.11 £1.58
-23.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.78 £5.81
$6.48 £4.83
20.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.70 £5.00
$6.47 £4.83
3.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Manchester
Slough
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 £1.12
$1.84 £1.38
-17.93%
White Bread (500g)
$1.88 £1.41
$1.48 £1.11
27.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 £1.45
$2.95 £2.20
-34.24%
Eggs
$4.08 £3.04
$3.61 £2.70
13.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.61 £7.17
$11.10 £8.29
-13.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.98 £6.71
$8.61 £6.43
4.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.41 £11.51
$12.52 £9.35
23.08%
Apples (1kg)
$3.09 £2.31
$3.05 £2.28
1.31%
Banana (1kg)
$1.58 £1.18
$1.54 £1.15
2.60%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.95 £2.20
$2.97 £2.22
-0.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.35 £2.50
$3.22 £2.41
4.04%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 £1.13
$2.63 £1.97
-42.59%
Onion (1kg)
$1.35 £1.01
$1.30 £0.97
3.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.26 £0.94
$1.08 £0.81
16.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 £0.92
$1.46 £1.09
-15.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$24.05 £17.95
$23.74 £17.73
1.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.88 £8.13
$13.39 £10.00
-18.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.43 £1.81
$2.27 £1.69
7.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.17 £2.36
$2.73 £2.04
16.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Manchester
Slough
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.73 £2.04
$3.90 £2.91
-30.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$108 £80.6
$239 £178
-54.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.52 £3.37
$6.77 £5.06
-33.23%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.22 £1.66
$4.57 £3.41
-51.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.82 £23.01
$39.51 £29.50
-21.99%
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
$39.0K £29.1K
-1.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.0K £29.9K
$40.0K £29.9K
0.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Manchester
Slough
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$252 £189
$311 £232
-18.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.23 £12.12
$20.97 £15.66
-22.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.58 £29.56
$45.07 £33.65
-12.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Manchester
Slough
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.67 £31.86
$41.57 £31.04
2.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.05 £13.48
$8.45 £6.31
113.61%
Cinema Ticket
$13.44 £10.04
$13.09 £9.77
2.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Manchester
Slough
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,494 £1,116
$1,750 £1,307
-14.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.7K £14.7K
$24.1K £18.0K
-18.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Manchester
Slough
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$83.5 £62.4
$69.4 £51.8
20.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.97 £32.09
$68.0 £50.8
-36.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.0 £70.9
$114 £84.9
-16.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 £79.1
$109 £81.3
-2.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Manchester
Slough
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,785 £1,333
$1,695 £1,266
5.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,222 £913
$1,358 £1,014
-10.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,930 £2,188
$2,903 £2,168
0.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,899 £1,418
$2,204 £1,646
-13.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,668 £3,486
$17.8K £13.3K
-73.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,397 £3,283
$13.0K £9,742
-66.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Manchester
Slough
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,395 £2,535
$3,377 £2,521
0.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.82
5
-3.60%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 25, 2026

Last update for Slough: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Manchester
$1.2K
Slough
$1.4K 11.1% $136
Eating Out
Manchester
$319
Slough
$349 9.4% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Manchester
$308
Slough
$377 22.4% $69
Groceries & Markets
Manchester
$299
Slough
$302 1% $3.1
Clothing & Footwear
Manchester
$147
Slough
$162 9.9% $15
Getting Around
Manchester
$134
Slough
$284 111% $150
Sport & Entertainment
Manchester
$70
Slough
$68 2.6% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,785 in Manchester versus $1,695 in Slough. 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 $81 in Slough. Groceries tell a different story – $299 in Manchester vs $302 in Slough – so Manchester wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Manchester
🇬🇧 Slough
🕒 Local time
01:44 1:44 AM
01:44 1:44 AM
Same time as Manchester
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
503,100
164,455
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Manchester Slough 250 km
From you
  • Manchester
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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 Slough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Manchester cheaper than Slough?
Yes – Slough is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,749 per month in Manchester and $4,349 in Slough. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Manchester and Slough?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,785 in Manchester and $1,695 in Slough. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
What are total monthly expenses in Manchester and in Slough?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,499 in Manchester and $2,900 in Slough. That makes Manchester about 14% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,494 per month in Manchester and $1,750 in Slough. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is it better to live in Manchester or in Slough?
It depends on your priorities. Manchester has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,499 in Manchester to $2,900 in Slough. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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