Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Telford

For one person, living is cheaper in Telford: $2,057 a month against $2,532 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
100

Cost of Living Index in Telford
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Telford Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,532

/mo nomad

Telford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,057

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Telford

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

A single person spends $2,532 per month in Manchester vs $2,057 in Telford, rent included.

Manchester $2,532
Telford $2,057

A couple spends around $3,686 per month in Manchester vs $2,957 in Telford, rent included.

Manchester $3,686
Telford $2,957

A family of three spends $4,839 per month in Manchester vs $3,857 in Telford, rent included.

Manchester $4,839
Telford $3,857

Manchester costs about 23% more than Telford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Manchester and Telford sit above the global median – Manchester by 87%, Telford by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 £15.18

$20.11 £15.09

0.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.1 £65.3

$73.8 £55.4

18.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 £8.12

$9.75 £7.32

11.08%

Cappuccino

$4.81 £3.61

$4.21 £3.16

14.25%

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

$2.44 £1.83

$2.70 £2.03

-9.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.07 £0.80

51.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 £5.87

$5.98 £4.48

30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 £4.86

$6.64 £4.98

-2.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 £1.09

$1.60 £1.20

-9.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 £1.47

$1.02 £0.77

91.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 £1.40

$1.33 £1.00

39.85%

Eggs

$4.05 £3.04

$3.28 £2.46

23.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.76 £7.32

$7.28 £5.46

34.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 £6.83

$9.30 £6.98

-2.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 £11.64

$11.77 £8.83

31.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 £2.40

$2.43 £1.82

31.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 £1.14

$1.81 £1.36

-16.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 £2.26

$2.50 £1.88

20.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 £2.51

$2.73 £2.05

22.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 £1.17

$1.86 £1.40

-16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 £0.98

$2.03 £1.52

-35.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 £0.92

$0.97 £0.72

25.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 £0.96

$1.35 £1.01

-5.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.68 £17.77

$19.87 £14.91

19.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.16

$10.14 £7.60

7.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 £1.91

$5.71 £4.29

-55.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 £2.36

$5.33 £4.00

-40.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £2.01

$4.08 £3.06

-34.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 £79.1

$152 £114

-30.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 £3.31

$6.99 £5.24

-36.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 £1.65

$3.97 £2.98

-44.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 £22.85

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 £1.53

$1.86 £1.39

9.68%

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

$39.2K £29.4K

$40.1K £30.1K

-2.40%

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

$40.3K £30.2K

$44.3K £33.3K

-9.18%

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

$252 £189

$280 £210

-10.10%

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

$16.62 £12.47

$21.76 £16.33

-23.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.61 £30.47

$35.29 £26.48

15.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 £41.32

$47.31 £35.49

16.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.02 £13.52

Cinema Ticket

$13.26 £9.95

$17.21 £12.91

-22.95%

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

$1,252 £939

$1,570 £1,178

-20.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K £14.9K

$23.5K £17.6K

-15.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.2 £63.2

$53.1 £39.84

58.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.72 £32.05

$25.38 £19.04

68.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 £69.2

$99.3 £74.5

-7.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.8

$135 £101

-21.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 £1,342

$845 £634

111.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 £932

$720 £540

72.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,014 £2,261

$1,243 £932

142.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 £1,471

$1,011 £758

93.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,552 £3,415

$4,015 £3,012

13.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,349 £3,262

$8,592 £6,446

-49.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,460 £2,596

$3,283 £2,463

5.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

5.3

-9.06%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 18, 2026

Last update for Telford: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.2K 49.1%

Telford

$720 35% 42% $522

Eating Out

Manchester

$320 12.7%

Telford

$299 14.5% 6.7% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$309 12.2%

Telford

$337 16.4% 9.1% $28

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$301 11.9%

Telford

$284 13.8% 5.7% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$146 5.8%

Telford

$141 6.8% 4% $5.8

Getting Around

Manchester

$132 5.2%

Telford

$195 9.5% 48.2% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$82 3.2%

Telford

$82 4% 0.2% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,789 in Manchester versus $845 in Telford. 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 5% 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 $87.0 in Manchester versus $74.0 in Telford. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $301 vs $284 – making Telford the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Telford

🕒 Local time

21:09 9:09 PM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

180,000

💱 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

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Manchester Telford 90 km

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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 Telford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manchester is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,798 per month in Manchester and $3,086 in Telford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Telford, 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 $1,570 in Telford. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Manchester, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Telford, where all-in costs run around $2,057, than in Manchester at $2,532. In Telford it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manchester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Telford – 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 Telford. 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.