Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Motherwell and Manchester

For one person, living is cheaper in Motherwell: $2,298 a month against $2,499 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Manchester outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

111

Cost of Living Index in Motherwell
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Motherwell Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index

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Motherwell

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,298

/mo nomad

Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Motherwell and in Manchester

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Motherwell and in Manchester actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,298 per month in Motherwell vs $2,499 in Manchester, rent included.

Motherwell $2,298
Manchester $2,499

A couple spends around $3,384 per month in Motherwell vs $3,623 in Manchester, rent included.

Motherwell $3,384
Manchester $3,623

A family of three spends $4,471 per month in Motherwell vs $4,747 in Manchester, rent included.

Motherwell $4,471
Manchester $4,747

Motherwell is about 8% cheaper than Manchester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Motherwell and Manchester sit above the global median – Motherwell by 69%, Manchester by 84%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.77 £14.86

$20.22 £15.20

-2.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.2 £54.3

$86.0 £64.6

-16.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.67 £8.02

$10.74 £8.07

-0.65%

Cappuccino

$4.95 £3.72

$4.68 £3.52

5.77%

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

$2.24 £1.68

$2.44 £1.84

-8.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 £1.36

$1.62 £1.22

11.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.28 £3.97

$7.78 £5.85

-32.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 £4.98

$6.70 £5.04

-1.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 £1.03

$1.51 £1.13

-8.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 £1.23

$1.88 £1.42

-13.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 £1.72

$1.94 £1.46

18.04%

Eggs

$4.03 £3.03

$4.08 £3.06

-1.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.11 £6.85

$9.61 £7.22

-5.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 £6.98

$8.98 £6.75

3.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.04 £12.81

$15.41 £11.58

10.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 £2.21

$3.09 £2.32

-4.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 £1.16

$1.58 £1.19

-1.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 £2.12

$2.95 £2.21

-4.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 £2.47

$3.35 £2.52

-1.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 £1.44

$1.51 £1.14

26.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 £1.08

$1.35 £1.01

5.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.87

$1.26 £0.95

-7.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 £1.18

$1.23 £0.92

27.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.81 £15.64

$24.05 £18.07

-13.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.50 £7.89

$10.88 £8.18

-3.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 £2.28

$2.43 £1.82

25.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 £2.51

$3.17 £2.38

5.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.55 £2.67

$2.73 £2.05

30.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.9 £72.8

$108 £81.1

-10.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 £4.49

$4.52 £3.39

32.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 £0.86

$2.22 £1.67

-48.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.51 £20.68

$30.82 £23.16

-10.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 £1.64

$2.14 £1.61

1.87%

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

$39.2K £29.4K

$38.5K £28.9K

1.84%

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

$40.2K £30.2K

$40.0K £30.1K

0.25%

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

$248 £186

$252 £190

-1.88%

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

$20.43 £15.35

$16.23 £12.19

25.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.97 £32.29

$39.58 £29.75

8.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.89 £35.24

$42.67 £32.07

9.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.46 £4.85

$18.05 £13.57

-64.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.85 £8.91

$13.44 £10.10

-11.83%

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

$924 £694

$1,494 £1,123

-38.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K £13.4K

$19.7K £14.8K

-9.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 £88.3

$83.5 £62.8

40.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.08 £36.14

$42.97 £32.30

11.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 £78.4

$95.0 £71.4

9.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 £68.1

$106 £79.6

-14.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 £935

$1,785 £1,342

-30.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 £765

$1,222 £919

-16.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,121 £1,594

$2,930 £2,202

-27.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 £1,271

$1,899 £1,427

-10.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,980 £3,742

$4,668 £3,508

6.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,852 £2,895

$4,397 £3,305

-12.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,395 £2,551

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

3.73%

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

Last update for Motherwell: October 25, 2026

Last update for Manchester: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Motherwell

$1K 44.3%

Manchester

$1.2K 48.9% 20% $204

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Motherwell

$311 13.5%

Manchester

$308 12.3% 0.9% $2.8

Groceries & Markets

Motherwell

$307 13.4%

Manchester

$299 12% 2.7% $8.2

Eating Out

Motherwell

$305 13.3%

Manchester

$319 12.8% 4.3% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Motherwell

$162 7.1%

Manchester

$147 5.9% 9.2% $15

Getting Around

Motherwell

$123 5.4%

Manchester

$134 5.4% 9.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Motherwell

$71 3.1%

Manchester

$70 2.8% 1.5% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,244 in Motherwell versus $1,785 in Manchester. 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 $72 in Motherwell versus $86 in Manchester. Groceries tell a different story – $307 in Motherwell vs $299 in Manchester – so Manchester wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Motherwell

🇬🇧 Manchester

🕒 Local time

12:35 12:35 PM

Same time as Motherwell

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,120

503,100

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Motherwell Manchester 280 km

From you

Motherwell
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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

Motherwell vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manchester is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,446 per month in Motherwell and $3,749 in Manchester. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Motherwell, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,244 there versus $1,785 in Manchester.

Kindergarten costs $924 per month in Motherwell and $1,494 in Manchester. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Manchester – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

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