Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Stoke-on-Trent

For one person, living is cheaper in Stoke-on-Trent: $1,880 a month against $2,499 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Manchester, United Kingdom
Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom
Manchester
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,499
/mo nomad
Stoke-on-Trent
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$1,880
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Stoke-on-Trent

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 Stoke-on-Trent actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,499 per month in Manchester vs $1,880 in Stoke-on-Trent, rent included.

  • Manchester $2,499
  • Stoke-on-Trent $1,880

A couple spends around $3,623 per month in Manchester vs $2,810 in Stoke-on-Trent, rent included.

  • Manchester $3,623
  • Stoke-on-Trent $2,810

A family of three spends $4,747 per month in Manchester vs $3,741 in Stoke-on-Trent, rent included.

  • Manchester $4,747
  • Stoke-on-Trent $3,741

Manchester costs about 33% more than Stoke-on-Trent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Manchester and Stoke-on-Trent sit above the global median – Manchester by 84%, Stoke-on-Trent by 38%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Manchester
Stoke-on-Trent
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.22 £15.11
$23.84 £17.81
-15.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$86.0 £64.3
$91.7 £68.5
-6.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.74 £8.02
$10.47 £7.82
2.58%
Cappuccino
$4.68 £3.50
$4.48 £3.35
4.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 £1.82
$1.88 £1.41
29.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.62 £1.21
$1.38 £1.03
17.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.78 £5.81
$6.80 £5.08
14.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.70 £5.01
$5.49 £4.10
22.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Manchester
Stoke-on-Trent
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 £1.12
$1.53 £1.14
-1.31%
White Bread (500g)
$1.88 £1.41
$1.62 £1.21
16.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 £1.45
$2.19 £1.64
-11.42%
Eggs
$4.08 £3.04
$3.59 £2.68
13.65%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.61 £7.18
$7.85 £5.87
22.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.98 £6.71
$8.30 £6.20
8.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.41 £11.51
$12.96 £9.68
18.90%
Apples (1kg)
$3.09 £2.31
$2.84 £2.12
8.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.58 £1.18
$1.70 £1.27
-7.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.95 £2.20
$2.58 £1.93
14.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.35 £2.50
$2.99 £2.23
12.04%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 £1.13
$2.05 £1.53
-26.34%
Onion (1kg)
$1.35 £1.01
$1.54 £1.15
-12.34%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.26 £0.94
$1.19 £0.89
5.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 £0.92
$1.62 £1.21
-24.07%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$24.05 £17.96
$21.21 £15.85
13.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.88 £8.13
$9.28 £6.93
17.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.43 £1.81
$2.99 £2.23
-18.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.17 £2.37
$3.06 £2.28
3.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Manchester
Stoke-on-Trent
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.73 £2.04
$3.64 £2.72
-25.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$108 £80.6
$69.7 £52.1
54.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.52 £3.37
$4.97 £3.72
-9.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.22 £1.66
$1.31 £0.98
69.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.82 £23.03
$22.38 £16.72
37.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.14 £1.60
$2.14 £1.60
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.5K £28.7K
$38.4K £28.7K
0.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.0K £29.9K
$39.8K £29.8K
0.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Manchester
Stoke-on-Trent
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$252 £189
$301 £225
-16.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.23 £12.12
$20.71 £15.47
-21.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.58 £29.57
$42.15 £31.49
-6.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Manchester
Stoke-on-Trent
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.67 £31.88
$30.83 £23.03
38.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.05 £13.49
$13.17 £9.84
37.05%
Cinema Ticket
$13.44 £10.04
$12.14 £9.07
10.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Manchester
Stoke-on-Trent
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,494 £1,116
$1,255 £938
19.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.7K £14.7K
$15.8K £11.8K
24.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Manchester
Stoke-on-Trent
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$83.5 £62.4
$75.1 £56.1
11.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.97 £32.10
$26.60 £19.87
61.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.0 £71.0
$81.7 £61.0
16.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 £79.1
$99.6 £74.4
6.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Manchester
Stoke-on-Trent
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,785 £1,334
$791 £591
125.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,222 £913
$623 £465
96.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,930 £2,189
$1,219 £911
140.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,899 £1,419
$965 £721
96.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,668 £3,487
$3,290 £2,458
41.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,397 £3,285
$2,530 £1,890
73.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Manchester
Stoke-on-Trent
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,395 £2,536
$3,313 £2,475
2.48%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.82
5.15
-6.41%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 25, 2026

Last update for Stoke-on-Trent: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Manchester
$1.2K
Stoke-on-Trent
$623 49% $599
Eating Out
Manchester
$319
Stoke-on-Trent
$334 4.8% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Manchester
$308
Stoke-on-Trent
$364 18% $55
Groceries & Markets
Manchester
$299
Stoke-on-Trent
$281 5.8% $17
Clothing & Footwear
Manchester
$147
Stoke-on-Trent
$127 13.6% $20
Getting Around
Manchester
$134
Stoke-on-Trent
$96 28.7% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Manchester
$70
Stoke-on-Trent
$55 20.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,785 in Manchester versus $791 in Stoke-on-Trent. 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 $92 in Stoke-on-Trent. Groceries tell a different story – $299 in Manchester vs $281 in Stoke-on-Trent – so Stoke-on-Trent wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Manchester
🇬🇧 Stoke-on-Trent
🕒 Local time
04:16 4:16 AM
04:16 4:16 AM
Same time as Manchester
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
503,100
249,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 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 Stoke-on-Trent 52 km
From you
  • Manchester
  • Stoke-on-Trent

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 Stoke-on-Trent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Stoke-on-Trent cheaper than Manchester?
Yes – Manchester is pricier by about 33%, 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 $2,820 in Stoke-on-Trent. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Stoke-on-Trent, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $791 there versus $1,785 in Manchester.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,494 per month in Manchester and $1,255 in Stoke-on-Trent. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Manchester and in Stoke-on-Trent?
Groceries cost about 6% more in Manchester, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is Manchester or Stoke-on-Trent more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Stoke-on-Trent – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Manchester vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?