Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Southampton

For one person, living is cheaper in Manchester: $2,499 a month against $2,655 in Southampton, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Southampton
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Southampton Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Southampton

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,655

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Southampton

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

A single person spends $2,499 per month in Manchester vs $2,655 in Southampton, rent included.

Manchester $2,499
Southampton $2,655

A couple spends around $3,623 per month in Manchester vs $3,818 in Southampton, rent included.

Manchester $3,623
Southampton $3,818

A family of three spends $4,747 per month in Manchester vs $4,981 in Southampton, rent included.

Manchester $4,747
Southampton $4,981

Manchester is about 6% cheaper than Southampton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manchester and Southampton sit above the global median – Manchester by 84%, Southampton by 95%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 £15.08

$26.76 £19.95

-24.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.0 £64.1

$89.6 £66.8

-3.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.74 £8.01

$11.12 £8.29

-3.42%

Cappuccino

$4.68 £3.49

$5.43 £4.05

-13.81%

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

$2.44 £1.82

$2.98 £2.22

-18.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 £1.21

$2.24 £1.67

-27.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 £5.80

$7.46 £5.56

4.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 £5.00

$6.75 £5.03

-0.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.99 £1.49

-24.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.72 £1.28

9.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 £1.45

$3.04 £2.27

-36.18%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.04

$4.42 £3.29

-7.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 £7.16

$9.84 £7.34

-2.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 £6.70

$9.68 £7.21

-7.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 £11.49

$14.44 £10.76

6.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.30

$2.86 £2.13

8.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.75 £1.31

-9.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 £2.20

$2.84 £2.12

3.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$3.39 £2.53

-1.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 £1.13

$1.84 £1.37

-17.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 £1.00

$1.58 £1.18

-14.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

$1.21 £0.90

4.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 £0.92

$1.82 £1.36

-32.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.05 £17.93

$21.33 £15.91

12.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.12

$11.13 £8.30

-2.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 £1.81

$2.96 £2.20

-17.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.36

$3.40 £2.54

-6.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 £2.04

$3.32 £2.47

-17.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 £80.4

$78.1 £58.2

38.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 £3.37

$4.31 £3.22

4.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 £1.65

$1.95 £1.46

13.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.82 £22.98

$32.03 £23.88

-3.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.59

$2.16 £1.61

-0.93%

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

$38.5K £28.7K

$38.2K £28.5K

0.68%

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

$40.0K £29.9K

$40.9K £30.5K

-2.08%

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

$252 £188

$327 £244

-22.79%

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

$16.23 £12.10

$29.33 £21.87

-44.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.58 £29.51

$53.3 £39.71

-25.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.67 £31.81

$37.74 £28.14

13.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.05 £13.46

$16.78 £12.51

7.57%

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 £10.02

$15.96 £11.90

-15.79%

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

$1,494 £1,114

$1,886 £1,406

-20.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K £14.7K

$18.3K £13.7K

7.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 £62.3

$106 £78.9

-21.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.97 £32.04

$51.4 £38.28

-16.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 £70.8

$102 £76.3

-7.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.0

$131 £97.5

-19.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,785 £1,331

$1,520 £1,133

17.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 £911

$1,190 £887

2.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,930 £2,185

$2,360 £1,760

24.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 £1,416

$1,812 £1,351

4.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,668 £3,480

$5,632 £4,199

-17.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,397 £3,278

$4,849 £3,616

-9.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,395 £2,531

$3,372 £2,514

0.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

4.96

-2.82%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 25, 2026

Last update for Southampton: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.2K 48.9%

Southampton

$1.2K 44.8% 2.6% $32

Eating Out

Manchester

$319 12.8%

Southampton

$384 14.5% 20.6% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$308 12.3%

Southampton

$410 15.4% 32.9% $101

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$299 12%

Southampton

$320 12.1% 7.3% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$147 5.9%

Southampton

$176 6.6% 19.2% $28

Getting Around

Manchester

$134 5.4%

Southampton

$105 4% 21.6% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$70 2.8%

Southampton

$70 2.6% 0.2% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,785 in Manchester versus $1,520 in Southampton. 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 $90 in Southampton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $299 vs $320 – making Manchester the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Southampton

🕒 Local time

16:49 4:49 PM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

228,600

💱 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 Southampton 290 km

From you

Manchester
Southampton

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 Southampton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,749 per month in Manchester and $3,982 in Southampton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Southampton, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,520 there versus $1,785 in Manchester.

Kindergarten costs $1,494 per month in Manchester and $1,886 in Southampton. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Southampton, though the gap depends on what you buy.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Manchester costs $2,499 versus $2,655 in Southampton. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.