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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,684 per month in Manchester vs $1,964 in Wels, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,957 per month in Manchester vs $2,867 in Wels, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,230 per month in Manchester vs $3,769 in Wels, rent included.

Manchester costs about 37% more than Wels, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Manchester and Wels sit above the global median – Manchester by 101%, Wels by 47%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.17 £15.00

$17.39 €15.22

15.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.9 £72.1

$72.4 €63.3

33.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 £8.02

$12.13 €10.62

-11.13%

Cappuccino

$5.10 £3.79

$4.48 €3.92

13.84%

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

$2.53 £1.88

$4.29 €3.75

-41.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 £1.25

$2.95 €2.58

-43.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.31 £5.43

$5.33 €4.66

37.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.67 £5.70

$4.90 €4.29

56.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 £1.26

$1.46 €1.27

15.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 £1.27

$3.03 €2.65

-43.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 £1.68

$2.23 €1.95

0.90%

Eggs

$4.07 £3.03

$3.30 €2.89

23.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.25 £9.11

$25.08 €21.94

-51.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.42 £7.01

$13.83 €12.10

-31.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 £12.81

$21.35 €18.68

-19.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 £2.49

$2.91 €2.54

15.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.89 €1.65

-4.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 £2.99

$2.66 €2.33

50.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 £3.08

$2.91 €2.55

42.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.52

$2.08 €1.82

-1.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.76 €1.54

2.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.93

$1.73 €1.51

-27.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 £1.11

$0.82 €0.72

81.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.21 £14.29

$7.47 €6.54

157.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.00 £7.44

$9.26 €8.10

7.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 £1.83

$0.83 €0.72

196.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 £2.69

$1.58 €1.38

128.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 £1.97

$2.73 €2.39

-2.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$122 £90.5

$29.08 €25.45

318.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 £3.96

$6.81 €5.96

-21.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.86 £2.12

$2.14 €1.87

33.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.58 £24.98

$34.39 €30.09

-2.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 £1.40

$1.72 €1.50

9.88%

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

$38.7K £28.8K

$28.5K €24.9K

35.78%

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

$41.5K £30.9K

$34.6K €30.3K

19.82%

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

$302 £225

$362 €317

-16.51%

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

$22.97 £17.08

$22.68 €19.84

1.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.39 £32.27

$33.84 €29.61

28.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.99 £30.49

$40.19 €35.16

1.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.62 £11.62

$34.77 €30.42

-55.08%

Cinema Ticket

$13.50 £10.04

$13.67 €11.96

-1.24%

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

$1,984 £1,476

$891 €779

122.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K £15.6K

$7,197 €6,297

192.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 £67.9

$133 €116

-31.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.23 £31.41

$51.6 €45.15

-18.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 £65.6

$121 €106

-26.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 £80.5

$138 €121

-21.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,638 £1,218

$683 €597

139.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 £934

$568 €497

121.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,747 £2,043

$1,148 €1,004

139.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 £1,524

$816 €714

151.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,946 £3,679

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,671 £3,474

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,154 £2,346

$3,231 €2,827

-2.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

97.33%

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

Last update for Manchester: July 13, 2026

Last update for Wels: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,638 in Manchester versus $683 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 2% higher in Wels, 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 $97.0 in Manchester versus $72.0 in Wels. Groceries tell a different story – $331 in Manchester vs $379 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 37%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,026 per month in Manchester and $2,947 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 $1,984 per month in Manchester and $891 in Wels. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 14% 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 $1,964, than in Manchester at $2,684. 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.