Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Swindon

For one person, living is cheaper in Manchester: $2,499 a month against $2,768 in Swindon, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 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
133

Cost of Living Index in Swindon
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Swindon Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Swindon

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,768

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Swindon

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

A single person spends $2,499 per month in Manchester vs $2,768 in Swindon, rent included.

Manchester $2,499
Swindon $2,768

A couple spends around $3,623 per month in Manchester vs $3,814 in Swindon, rent included.

Manchester $3,623
Swindon $3,814

A family of three spends $4,747 per month in Manchester vs $4,861 in Swindon, rent included.

Manchester $4,747
Swindon $4,861

Manchester is about 10% cheaper than Swindon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manchester and Swindon sit above the global median – Manchester by 84%, Swindon by 103%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 £15.10

$20.27 £15.13

-0.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.0 £64.2

$63.0 £47.05

36.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.74 £8.02

$10.72 £8.01

0.19%

Cappuccino

$4.68 £3.49

$4.79 £3.58

-2.30%

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

$2.44 £1.82

$3.12 £2.33

-21.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.60 £1.20

1.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 £5.81

$5.72 £4.27

36.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 £5.00

$4.62 £3.45

45.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.67 £1.25

-9.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 £1.41

$1.96 £1.46

-4.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.87 £1.40

3.74%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.04

$4.49 £3.35

-9.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 £7.17

$9.48 £7.08

1.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 £6.71

$9.18 £6.85

-2.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 £11.51

$14.45 £10.79

6.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.31

$3.11 £2.32

-0.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.18

$2.47 £1.84

-36.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 £2.20

$4.08 £3.04

-27.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$4.24 £3.16

-20.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 £1.13

$2.02 £1.51

-25.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 £1.01

$1.73 £1.30

-21.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

$1.97 £1.47

-36.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 £0.92

$1.72 £1.28

-28.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.05 £17.95

$23.34 £17.43

3.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.13

$15.27 £11.40

-28.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 £1.81

$3.86 £2.88

-37.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.36

$3.82 £2.85

-17.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 £2.04

$4.09 £3.06

-33.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 £80.6

$98.9 £73.9

9.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 £3.37

$6.79 £5.07

-33.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 £1.66

$1.69 £1.26

31.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.82 £23.01

$21.54 £16.08

43.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.60

$2.03 £1.51

5.42%

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

$38.5K £28.7K

$39.0K £29.1K

-1.45%

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

$40.0K £29.9K

$40.8K £30.5K

-1.88%

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

$252 £189

$636 £475

-60.30%

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

$16.23 £12.12

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.58 £29.56

$44.50 £33.23

-11.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.67 £31.86

$34.18 £25.52

24.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.05 £13.48

$23.11 £17.25

-21.90%

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 £10.04

$17.61 £13.15

-23.68%

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

$1,494 £1,116

$1,966 £1,468

-24.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K £14.7K

$5,376 £4,014

266.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 £62.4

$89.0 £66.5

-6.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.97 £32.09

$43.92 £32.79

-2.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 £70.9

$81.8 £61.1

16.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.1

$85.5 £63.9

23.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,785 £1,333

$1,262 £942

41.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 £913

$1,085 £810

12.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,930 £2,188

$2,027 £1,514

44.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 £1,418

$1,698 £1,268

11.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,668 £3,486

$5,289 £3,949

-11.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,397 £3,283

$3,741 £2,794

17.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,395 £2,535

$2,969 £2,217

14.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

5.59

-13.77%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 25, 2026

Last update for Swindon: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.2K 48.9%

Swindon

$1.1K 39.2% 11.2% $137

Eating Out

Manchester

$319 12.8%

Swindon

$309 11.2% 3.2% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$308 12.3%

Swindon

$697 25.2% 126% $388

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$299 12%

Swindon

$343 12.4% 14.8% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$147 5.9%

Swindon

$135 4.9% 8.3% $12

Getting Around

Manchester

$134 5.4%

Swindon

$131 4.7% 2.9% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$70 2.8%

Swindon

$69 2.5% 0.2% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,785 in Manchester versus $1,262 in Swindon. 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 14% 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 $63 in Swindon. Groceries tell a different story – $299 in Manchester vs $343 in Swindon – so Manchester wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Swindon

🕒 Local time

23:26 11:26 PM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

183,638

💱 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 Swindon 220 km

From you

Manchester
Swindon

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 Swindon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Swindon is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,749 per month in Manchester and $4,152 in Swindon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Swindon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,262 there versus $1,785 in Manchester.

Kindergarten costs $1,494 per month in Manchester and $1,966 in Swindon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Swindon, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Manchester has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,499 in Manchester to $2,768 in Swindon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.