Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Wakefield, United Kingdom

For one person, living is cheaper in Wakefield: $2,026 a month against $2,499 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
98

Cost of Living Index in Wakefield
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Wakefield Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Wakefield

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,026

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Wakefield

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

A single person spends $2,499 per month in Manchester vs $2,026 in Wakefield, rent included.

Manchester $2,499
Wakefield $2,026

A couple spends around $3,623 per month in Manchester vs $3,215 in Wakefield, rent included.

Manchester $3,623
Wakefield $3,215

A family of three spends $4,747 per month in Manchester vs $4,405 in Wakefield, rent included.

Manchester $4,747
Wakefield $4,405

Manchester costs about 23% more than Wakefield, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manchester and Wakefield sit above the global median – Manchester by 84%, Wakefield by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 £15.11

$19.79 £14.78

2.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.0 £64.3

$82.1 £61.4

4.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.74 £8.02

$9.87 £7.38

8.81%

Cappuccino

$4.68 £3.50

$4.41 £3.30

6.12%

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

$2.44 £1.82

$2.34 £1.75

4.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.33 £0.99

21.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 £5.81

$6.10 £4.56

27.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 £5.01

$5.22 £3.90

28.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.49 £1.11

1.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 £1.41

$1.92 £1.43

-2.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 £1.45

$2.61 £1.95

-25.67%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.04

$4.20 £3.14

-2.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 £7.18

$7.88 £5.89

21.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 £6.71

$8.27 £6.18

8.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 £11.51

$13.78 £10.30

11.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.31

$2.97 £2.22

4.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.43 £1.07

10.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 £2.20

$2.65 £1.98

11.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$2.98 £2.22

12.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 £1.13

$1.75 £1.31

-13.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 £1.01

$1.64 £1.22

-17.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

$1.19 £0.89

5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 £0.92

$1.40 £1.05

-12.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.05 £17.96

$22.91 £17.12

4.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.13

$10.70 £7.99

1.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 £1.81

$3.31 £2.47

-26.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.37

$3.33 £2.49

-4.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 £2.04

$3.40 £2.54

-19.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 £80.6

$106 £78.8

2.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 £3.37

$5.45 £4.07

-17.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 £1.66

$1.43 £1.07

55.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.82 £23.03

$15.75 £11.76

95.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.60

$2.09 £1.56

2.39%

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

$38.5K £28.7K

$38.6K £28.9K

-0.44%

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

$40.0K £29.9K

$40.4K £30.1K

-0.76%

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

$252 £189

$351 £262

-28.06%

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

$16.23 £12.12

$15.63 £11.68

3.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.58 £29.57

$42.67 £31.88

-7.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.67 £31.88

$35.67 £26.64

19.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.05 £13.49

$27.03 £20.19

-33.22%

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 £10.04

$14.07 £10.51

-4.48%

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

$1,494 £1,116

$1,584 £1,183

-5.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K £14.7K

$24.2K £18.1K

-18.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 £62.4

$86.9 £64.9

-3.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.97 £32.10

$54.2 £40.47

-20.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 £71.0

$93.2 £69.6

1.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £79.1

$90.1 £67.3

17.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,785 £1,334

$1,011 £755

76.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 £913

$687 £514

77.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,930 £2,189

$2,118 £1,582

38.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 £1,419

$1,552 £1,160

22.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,668 £3,487

$3,991 £2,981

16.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,397 £3,285

$2,665 £1,991

65.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,395 £2,536

$2,512 £1,876

35.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

4.77

1.05%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 25, 2026

Last update for Wakefield: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.2K 48.9%

Wakefield

$687 33.9% 43.8% $535

Eating Out

Manchester

$319 12.8%

Wakefield

$296 14.6% 7% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$308 12.3%

Wakefield

$409 20.2% 32.7% $101

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$299 12%

Wakefield

$291 14.4% 2.5% $7.4

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$147 5.9%

Wakefield

$146 7.2% 1% $1.4

Getting Around

Manchester

$134 5.4%

Wakefield

$132 6.5% 2% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$70 2.8%

Wakefield

$64 3.2% 8.3% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,785 in Manchester versus $1,011 in Wakefield. 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 35% higher in Manchester. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Manchester versus $82 in Wakefield. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $299 vs $291 – making Wakefield the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Wakefield

🕒 Local time

02:47 2:47 AM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

322,300

💱 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 Wakefield 54 km

From you

Manchester
Wakefield

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 Wakefield: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manchester is pricier by about 23%, 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 $3,039 in Wakefield. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wakefield, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,011 there versus $1,785 in Manchester.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Manchester and $82 in Wakefield. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,494 per month in Manchester and $1,584 in Wakefield. 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 $2,026 in Wakefield to $2,499 in Manchester. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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