Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Wells

For one person, living is cheaper in Wells: $2,387 a month against $2,544 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Wells
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Wells Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,544

/mo nomad

Wells

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manchester and in Wells

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

A single person spends $2,544 per month in Manchester vs $2,387 in Wells, rent included.

Manchester $2,544
Wells $2,387

A couple spends around $3,691 per month in Manchester vs $3,377 in Wells, rent included.

Manchester $3,691
Wells $3,377

A family of three spends $4,839 per month in Manchester vs $4,367 in Wells, rent included.

Manchester $4,839
Wells $4,367

Manchester costs about 7% more than Wells, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Manchester and Wells sit above the global median – Manchester by 88%, Wells by 77%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.64 £14.74

$19.62 £14.72

0.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.7 £65.8

$97.1 £72.8

-9.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 £7.85

$9.52 £7.14

9.98%

Cappuccino

$4.85 £3.64

$4.72 £3.54

2.75%

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

$2.49 £1.87

$2.19 £1.64

13.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 £1.26

$2.46 £1.85

-31.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.75 £5.81

$6.77 £5.08

14.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.72 £5.04

$6.33 £4.75

6.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 £1.07

$1.45 £1.09

-1.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.29 £0.97

50.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.69 £1.27

10.65%

Eggs

$3.97 £2.98

$3.92 £2.94

1.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.40 £7.05

$8.55 £6.41

9.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 £6.77

$4.62 £3.47

95.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.39 £11.55

$12.05 £9.04

27.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.32

$2.99 £2.24

3.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.19

$1.35 £1.01

17.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 £2.28

$2.16 £1.62

40.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 £2.52

$3.14 £2.35

7.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 £1.17

$0.77 £0.58

102.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 £1.02

$1.33 £1.00

2.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 £0.90

$1.52 £1.14

-21.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 £0.95

$1.77 £1.33

-28.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.80 £17.85

$23.49 £17.62

1.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.11 £8.34

$9.38 £7.04

18.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 £1.88

$3.37 £2.53

-25.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 £2.34

$2.59 £1.95

20.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 £2.00

$3.45 £2.59

-22.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 £77.8

$96.9 £72.7

7.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 £3.39

$5.67 £4.25

-20.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 £1.64

$1.08 £0.81

101.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.56 £22.18

$23.91 £17.94

23.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 £1.58

$1.99 £1.50

6.03%

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

$37.5K £28.1K

$37.6K £28.2K

-0.45%

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

$40.3K £30.2K

$40.5K £30.4K

-0.47%

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

$250 £188

$466 £349

-46.30%

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

$16.38 £12.29

$13.39 £10.04

22.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.35 £30.27

$40.29 £30.23

0.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 £41.65

$45.14 £33.87

22.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 £13.75

Cinema Ticket

$13.11 £9.84

$12.78 £9.59

2.58%

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

$1,240 £930

$1,444 £1,083

-14.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K £14.6K

$17.1K £12.9K

13.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.5 £63.4

$36.71 £27.54

130.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 £31.05

$31.79 £23.85

30.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 £68.7

$59.6 £44.67

53.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 £77.6

$75.5 £56.6

37.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 £1,371

$1,237 £928

47.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 £950

$1,022 £766

23.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,044 £2,284

$2,077 £1,558

46.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 £1,488

$1,555 £1,167

27.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,537 £3,403

$4,978 £3,735

-8.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,324 £3,244

$3,881 £2,912

11.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,329 £2,498

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

5.11

-5.68%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 12, 2026

Last update for Wells: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.3K 49.8%

Wells

$1K 42.8% 19.3% $245

Eating Out

Manchester

$316 12.4%

Wells

$307 12.9% 2.7% $8.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$307 12.1%

Wells

$520 21.8% 69.3% $213

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$299 11.8%

Wells

$255 10.7% 14.6% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$144 5.7%

Wells

$92 3.8% 36.6% $53

Getting Around

Manchester

$130 5.1%

Wells

$122 5.1% 6.2% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$82 3.2%

Wells

$71 3% 13.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,827 in Manchester versus $1,237 in Wells. 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 $88.0 in Manchester versus $97.0 in Wells. Groceries tell a different story – $299 in Manchester vs $255 in Wells – so Wells wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Wells

🕒 Local time

17:17 5:17 PM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

11,000

💱 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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Between locations

Manchester Wells 250 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 Wells: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manchester is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,816 per month in Manchester and $3,581 in Wells. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wells, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,240 per month in Manchester and $1,444 in Wells. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% 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 Wells, where all-in costs run around $2,387, than in Manchester at $2,544. In Wells it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manchester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Wells – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Wells. 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.