Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Stevenage

For one person, living is cheaper in Manchester: $2,499 a month against $2,591 in Stevenage, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Stevenage
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Stevenage Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Stevenage

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,591

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Stevenage

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

A single person spends $2,499 per month in Manchester vs $2,591 in Stevenage, rent included.

Manchester $2,499
Stevenage $2,591

A couple spends around $3,623 per month in Manchester vs $3,874 in Stevenage, rent included.

Manchester $3,623
Stevenage $3,874

A family of three spends $4,747 per month in Manchester vs $5,157 in Stevenage, rent included.

Manchester $4,747
Stevenage $5,157

Manchester is about 4% cheaper than Stevenage, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manchester and Stevenage sit above the global median – Manchester by 84%, Stevenage by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 £15.11

$26.98 £20.15

-25.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.0 £64.3

$78.6 £58.7

9.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.74 £8.02

$10.62 £7.93

1.13%

Cappuccino

$4.68 £3.50

$4.95 £3.70

-5.45%

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

$2.44 £1.82

$1.89 £1.41

29.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.72 £1.28

-5.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 £5.81

$5.63 £4.21

38.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 £5.01

$5.66 £4.23

18.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.72 £1.28

-12.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 £1.41

$1.53 £1.14

22.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.87 £1.39

3.74%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.04

$4.17 £3.12

-2.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 £7.18

$8.50 £6.35

13.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 £6.71

$8.63 £6.44

4.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 £11.51

$13.67 £10.21

12.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.31

$3.30 £2.47

-6.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.45 £1.09

8.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 £2.20

$3.08 £2.30

-4.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$2.80 £2.09

19.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 £1.13

$1.17 £0.87

29.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 £1.01

$1.73 £1.29

-21.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

$1.20 £0.90

5.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 £0.92

$1.02 £0.76

20.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.05 £17.96

$23.34 £17.44

3.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.13

$10.05 £7.51

8.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 £1.81

$2.74 £2.04

-11.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.37

$3.02 £2.26

4.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 £2.04

$3.37 £2.52

-18.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 £80.6

$105 £78.7

2.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 £3.37

$3.68 £2.75

22.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 £1.66

$1.78 £1.33

24.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.82 £23.03

$19.73 £14.74

56.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.60

$2.00 £1.49

7.00%

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

$38.5K £28.7K

$37.8K £28.3K

1.65%

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

$40.0K £29.9K

0.03%

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

$252 £189

$235 £175

7.60%

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

$16.23 £12.12

$22.46 £16.78

-27.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.58 £29.57

$44.13 £32.97

-10.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.67 £31.88

$47.61 £35.57

-10.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.05 £13.49

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 £10.04

$13.27 £9.91

1.28%

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

$1,494 £1,116

$1,049 £784

42.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K £14.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 £62.4

$78.0 £58.3

7.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.97 £32.10

$38.24 £28.57

12.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 £71.0

$64.3 £48.05

47.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.1

$88.6 £66.2

19.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,785 £1,334

$1,644 £1,228

8.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 £913

$1,321 £987

-7.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,930 £2,189

$3,008 £2,247

-2.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 £1,419

$2,354 £1,758

-19.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,668 £3,487

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,397 £3,285

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,395 £2,536

$3,268 £2,441

3.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

5.51

-12.52%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 25, 2026

Last update for Stevenage: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.2K 48.9%

Stevenage

$1.3K 51% 8.1% $98

Eating Out

Manchester

$319 12.8%

Stevenage

$361 13.9% 13.3% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$308 12.3%

Stevenage

$301 11.6% 2.3% $7.1

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$299 12%

Stevenage

$282 10.9% 5.7% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$147 5.9%

Stevenage

$121 4.7% 17.8% $26

Getting Around

Manchester

$134 5.4%

Stevenage

$131 5.1% 2.2% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$70 2.8%

Stevenage

$74 2.9% 6.6% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,785 in Manchester versus $1,644 in Stevenage. 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 4% higher in Manchester, 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 $86 in Manchester versus $79 in Stevenage. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $299 vs $282 – making Stevenage the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Stevenage

🕒 Local time

09:32 9:32 AM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

89,663

💱 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

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Between locations

Manchester Stevenage 220 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 Stevenage: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Stevenage is pricier by about 4%, 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 $3,887 in Stevenage. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,785 in Manchester and $1,644 in Stevenage. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,499 in Manchester and $2,591 in Stevenage. That makes Manchester about 4% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,494 per month in Manchester and $1,049 in Stevenage. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Manchester has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,499 in Manchester to $2,591 in Stevenage. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.