Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Southwark

For one person, living is cheaper in Southwark: $1,486 a month against $2,532 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Manchester outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

123

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Southwark
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Southwark Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,532

/mo nomad

Southwark

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$1,486

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Southwark

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

A single person spends $2,532 per month in Manchester vs $1,486 in Southwark, rent included.

Manchester $2,532
Southwark $1,486

A couple spends around $3,686 per month in Manchester vs $4,262 in Southwark, rent included.

Manchester $3,686
Southwark $4,262

A family of three spends $4,839 per month in Manchester vs $7,038 in Southwark, rent included.

Manchester $4,839
Southwark $7,038

Manchester costs about 70% more than Southwark, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manchester and Southwark sit above the global median – Manchester by 87%, Southwark by 10%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 £15.18

$25.00 £18.76

-19.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.1 £65.3

$101 £75.6

-13.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 £8.12

$10.67 £8.00

1.50%

Cappuccino

$4.81 £3.61

$5.70 £4.28

-15.61%

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

$2.44 £1.83

$3.05 £2.29

-20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 £1.21

$2.60 £1.95

-37.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 £5.87

$9.29 £6.97

-15.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 £4.86

$8.28 £6.21

-21.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 £1.09

$1.92 £1.44

-24.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 £1.47

$2.05 £1.54

-4.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 £1.40

$2.20 £1.65

-15.45%

Eggs

$4.05 £3.04

$4.38 £3.29

-7.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.76 £7.32

$11.90 £8.93

-17.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 £6.83

$9.07 £6.80

0.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 £11.64

$15.57 £11.68

-0.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 £2.40

$3.05 £2.29

4.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 £1.14

$1.44 £1.08

5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 £2.26

$2.98 £2.24

1.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 £2.51

$3.52 £2.64

-5.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 £1.17

$1.66 £1.25

-6.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 £0.98

$1.79 £1.34

-27.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 £0.92

$1.36 £1.02

-10.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 £0.96

$1.86 £1.39

-31.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.68 £17.77

$23.44 £17.59

1.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.16

$12.16 £9.12

-10.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 £1.91

$3.05 £2.29

-16.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 £2.36

$3.22 £2.42

-2.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £2.01

$3.89 £2.92

-31.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 £79.1

$157 £118

-32.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 £3.31

$4.97 £3.73

-11.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 £1.65

$2.72 £2.04

-19.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 £22.85

$39.66 £29.75

-23.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 £1.53

$2.15 £1.62

-5.12%

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

$39.2K £29.4K

$37.9K £28.4K

3.45%

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

$40.3K £30.2K

$39.9K £30.0K

0.80%

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

$252 £189

$335 £251

-24.81%

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

$16.62 £12.47

$18.37 £13.78

-9.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.61 £30.47

$40.35 £30.27

0.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 £41.32

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.02 £13.52

Cinema Ticket

$13.26 £9.95

$18.05 £13.54

-26.54%

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

$1,252 £939

$2,557 £1,919

-51.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K £14.9K

$30.4K £22.8K

-34.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.2 £63.2

$93.1 £69.9

-9.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.72 £32.05

$46.53 £34.91

-8.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 £69.2

$103 £77.5

-10.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.8

$90.0 £67.5

18.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 £1,342

$2,307 £1,731

-22.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 £932

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,014 £2,261

$5,586 £4,190

-46.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 £1,471

$3,792 £2,844

-48.29%

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

$4,185 £3,140

-17.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

5.12

-5.86%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 18, 2026

Last update for Southwark: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.2K 49.1%

Southwark

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Manchester

$320 12.7%

Southwark

$386 26% 20.5% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$309 12.2%

Southwark

$393 26.5% 27.4% $85

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$301 11.9%

Southwark

$329 22.2% 9.4% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$146 5.8%

Southwark

$150 10.1% 2.3% $3.3

Getting Around

Manchester

$132 5.2%

Southwark

$191 12.9% 45.2% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$82 3.2%

Southwark

$36 * 2.4% 55.8% $45

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,789 in Manchester versus $2,307 in Southwark. 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 21% higher in Southwark, 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 $87.0 in Manchester versus $101 in Southwark. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $301 vs $329 – making Manchester the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Southwark

🕒 Local time

01:15 1:15 AM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

71,552

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manchester Southwark 270 km

From you

Manchester
Southwark

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 Southwark: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manchester is pricier by about 70%, 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 $2,229 in Southwark. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Southwark, 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 $2,557 in Southwark. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Manchester – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,532 in Manchester and $1,486 in Southwark. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Southwark – 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 Southwark. 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.