Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Wels Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Wels

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,597 per month in Manchester vs $2,062 in Wels, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,791 per month in Manchester vs $3,007 in Wels, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,985 per month in Manchester vs $3,952 in Wels, rent included.

Manchester costs about 26% more than Wels, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Manchester and Wels sit above the global median – Manchester by 89%, Wels by 50%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.25 £15.02

$18.66 €16.10

8.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.3 £70.7

$85.6 €73.8

11.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 £7.95

$12.24 €10.56

-12.42%

Cappuccino

$4.86 £3.61

$4.91 €4.23

-1.02%

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

$2.69 £2.00

$4.31 €3.72

-37.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 £1.30

$3.24 €2.80

-45.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 £6.00

$5.82 €5.03

38.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 £5.17

$4.77 €4.11

46.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 £1.12

$1.59 €1.38

-5.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 £1.43

$2.36 €2.04

-18.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 £1.49

$1.78 €1.54

12.92%

Eggs

$3.84 £2.85

$4.00 €3.45

-4.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.26 £6.87

$15.96 €13.77

-41.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.80 £6.53

$14.15 €12.21

-37.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.51 £12.24

$22.10 €19.07

-25.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 £2.30

$2.65 €2.29

17.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 £1.14

$1.90 €1.64

-18.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 £2.24

$2.61 €2.25

15.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 £2.60

$2.87 €2.47

22.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 £1.12

$1.79 €1.54

-16.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 £0.98

$1.36 €1.17

-2.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 £0.96

$1.92 €1.66

-32.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 £0.91

$0.79 €0.68

55.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.43 £18.12

$7.58 €6.54

222.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 £8.13

$7.95 €6.86

37.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 £1.83

$0.79 €0.68

212.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 £2.42

$2.07 €1.78

57.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 £1.97

$2.87 €2.48

-7.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 £78.9

$40.02 €34.54

165.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 £3.34

$6.95 €6.00

-35.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 £1.65

$2.47 €2.13

-9.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.69 £22.76

$34.49 €29.76

-11.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 £1.55

$1.97 €1.70

6.09%

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

$39.8K £29.5K

$30.3K €26.1K

31.31%

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

$40.8K £30.2K

$31.1K €26.8K

31.14%

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

$304 £225

$406 €350

-25.26%

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

$16.90 £12.53

$14.80 €12.77

14.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.38 £29.95

$37.59 €32.43

7.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 £40.87

$46.33 €39.98

18.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.59 £13.79

$34.72 €29.96

-46.46%

Cinema Ticket

$13.65 £10.12

$13.96 €12.04

-2.22%

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

$1,287 £955

$903 €779

42.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K £15.2K

$12.9K €11.2K

58.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.8 £69.6

$163 €141

-42.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.08 £31.95

$52.4 €45.21

-17.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.4 £73.0

$118 €102

-16.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 £80.4

$209 €180

-48.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,833 £1,360

$688 €594

166.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 £942

$585 €505

116.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,134 £2,325

$981 €846

219.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 £1,505

$827 €714

145.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,007 £3,713

$4,229 €3,650

18.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,739 £3,515

$3,590 €3,097

32.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,318 £2,461

$3,227 €2,785

2.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.13

3.57

43.70%

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

Last update for Manchester: August 31, 2026

Last update for Wels: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,833 in Manchester versus $688 in Wels. 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 3% 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 $95.0 in Manchester versus $86.0 in Wels. Groceries tell a different story – $301 in Manchester vs $346 in Wels – so Manchester wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Wels: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manchester is pricier by about 26%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,895 per month in Manchester and $3,093 in Wels. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,287 per month in Manchester and $903 in Wels. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Manchester – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Wels, where all-in costs run around $2,062, than in Manchester at $2,597. In Wels it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manchester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Wels – 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 Wels. 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.