Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Swansea

For one person, living is cheaper in Swansea: $2,196 a month against $2,499 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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
106

Cost of Living Index in Swansea
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Swansea Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Swansea

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,196

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Swansea

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

A single person spends $2,499 per month in Manchester vs $2,196 in Swansea, rent included.

Manchester $2,499
Swansea $2,196

A couple spends around $3,623 per month in Manchester vs $3,130 in Swansea, rent included.

Manchester $3,623
Swansea $3,130

A family of three spends $4,747 per month in Manchester vs $4,065 in Swansea, rent included.

Manchester $4,747
Swansea $4,065

Manchester costs about 14% more than Swansea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Manchester and Swansea sit above the global median – Manchester by 84%, Swansea by 61%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 £15.08

$20.41 £15.22

-0.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.0 £64.1

$63.1 £47.02

36.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.74 £8.01

$10.47 £7.81

2.58%

Cappuccino

$4.68 £3.49

$4.76 £3.55

-1.68%

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

$2.44 £1.82

$2.36 £1.76

3.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.26 £0.94

28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 £5.80

$5.89 £4.39

32.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 £5.00

$6.38 £4.76

5.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.34 £1.00

12.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 £1.40

$2.05 £1.53

-8.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 £1.45

$2.06 £1.54

-5.83%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.04

$3.52 £2.62

15.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 £7.16

$7.78 £5.80

23.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 £6.70

$8.33 £6.21

7.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 £11.49

$12.87 £9.59

19.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.30

$2.32 £1.73

33.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.24 £0.93

27.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 £2.20

$2.87 £2.14

2.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$3.57 £2.66

-6.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 £1.13

$2.25 £1.68

-32.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 £1.00

$3.05 £2.28

-55.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

$1.27 £0.95

-0.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 £0.92

$2.29 £1.71

-46.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.05 £17.93

$23.23 £17.32

3.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.12

$10.63 £7.92

2.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 £1.81

$2.33 £1.74

4.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.36

$3.40 £2.53

-6.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 £2.04

$4.12 £3.07

-33.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 £80.4

$97.1 £72.4

11.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 £3.37

$3.95 £2.94

14.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 £1.65

$2.68 £2.00

-17.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.82 £22.98

$33.33 £24.85

-7.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.59

$1.95 £1.46

9.74%

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

$38.5K £28.7K

$38.9K £29.0K

-1.15%

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

$40.0K £29.9K

$40.5K £30.2K

-1.04%

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

$252 £188

$306 £228

-17.63%

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

$16.23 £12.10

$14.81 £11.04

9.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.58 £29.51

$43.20 £32.21

-8.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.67 £31.81

$33.28 £24.81

28.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.05 £13.46

$15.52 £11.57

16.30%

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 £10.02

$9.85 £7.34

36.45%

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

$1,494 £1,114

$1,777 £1,325

-15.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K £14.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 £62.3

$89.7 £66.8

-6.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.97 £32.04

$48.22 £35.95

-10.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 £70.8

$122 £91.1

-22.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.0

$82.6 £61.6

28.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,785 £1,331

$1,112 £829

60.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 £911

$891 £664

37.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,930 £2,185

$1,500 £1,118

95.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 £1,416

$1,337 £997

41.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,668 £3,480

$3,563 £2,656

31.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,397 £3,278

$2,615 £1,949

68.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,395 £2,531

$3,263 £2,433

4.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

6.04

-20.20%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 25, 2026

Last update for Swansea: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.2K 48.9%

Swansea

$891 40.6% 27.1% $331

Eating Out

Manchester

$319 12.8%

Swansea

$309 14.1% 3.2% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$308 12.3%

Swansea

$364 16.6% 18.2% $56

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$299 12%

Swansea

$293 13.4% 1.8% $5.3

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$147 5.9%

Swansea

$154 7% 4.6% $6.8

Getting Around

Manchester

$134 5.4%

Swansea

$131 6% 2.6% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$70 2.8%

Swansea

$53 2.4% 23.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,785 in Manchester versus $1,112 in Swansea. 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 partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Manchester versus $63 in Swansea. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $299 vs $293 – making Swansea the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Swansea

🕒 Local time

15:12 3:12 PM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

239,000

💱 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 Swansea 240 km

From you

Manchester
Swansea

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 Swansea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manchester is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,749 per month in Manchester and $3,293 in Swansea. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Swansea, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,112 there versus $1,785 in Manchester.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,499 in Manchester and $2,196 in Swansea. That makes Swansea about 12% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,494 per month in Manchester and $1,777 in Swansea. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,499 in Manchester and $2,196 in Swansea. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Swansea costs $2,196 versus $2,499 in Manchester. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Swansea. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manchester makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.