Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Plymouth and Manchester

For one person, living costs are similar in Plymouth and in Manchester: $2,602 and $2,532 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Plymouth
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Plymouth Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index

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Plymouth

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,602

/mo nomad

Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Plymouth 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 Plymouth and in Manchester actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,602 per month in Plymouth vs $2,532 in Manchester, rent included.

Plymouth $2,602
Manchester $2,532

A couple spends around $3,589 per month in Plymouth vs $3,686 in Manchester, rent included.

Plymouth $3,589
Manchester $3,686

A family of three spends $4,576 per month in Plymouth vs $4,839 in Manchester, rent included.

Plymouth $4,576
Manchester $4,839

Plymouth costs about 3% more than Manchester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Plymouth and Manchester sit above the global median – Plymouth by 92%, Manchester by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.12 £16.59

$20.23 £15.18

9.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.4 £61.8

$87.1 £65.3

-5.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.06

$10.83 £8.12

-0.74%

Cappuccino

$5.02 £3.77

$4.81 £3.61

4.37%

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

$2.10 £1.57

$2.44 £1.83

-13.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 £1.28

$1.62 £1.21

5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.28 £4.71

$7.82 £5.87

-19.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 £4.57

$6.48 £4.86

-6.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.45 £1.09

1.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 £0.92

$1.95 £1.47

-36.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 £2.26

$1.86 £1.40

62.37%

Eggs

$3.88 £2.91

$4.05 £3.04

-4.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 £7.68

$9.76 £7.32

4.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.51 £6.39

$9.11 £6.83

-6.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 £10.18

$15.52 £11.64

-12.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 £1.53

$3.20 £2.40

-36.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 £1.08

$1.52 £1.14

-5.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 £3.05

$3.02 £2.26

34.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 £2.97

$3.34 £2.51

18.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.55 £1.17

22.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 £1.06

$1.30 £0.98

8.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 £1.31

$1.22 £0.92

43.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.28 £0.96

14.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.20 £18.15

$23.68 £17.77

2.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 £5.39

$10.88 £8.16

-33.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 £2.31

$2.55 £1.91

20.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 £3.52

$3.15 £2.36

48.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.88 £2.91

$2.68 £2.01

44.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$134 £100

$105 £79.1

26.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.57 £4.93

$4.42 £3.31

48.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.47 £1.85

$2.20 £1.65

12.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 £22.85

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 £1.51

$2.04 £1.53

-1.47%

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

$38.7K £29.0K

$39.2K £29.4K

-1.21%

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

$40.6K £30.4K

$40.3K £30.2K

0.76%

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

$463 £347

$252 £189

83.82%

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

$32.48 £24.37

$16.62 £12.47

95.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.2 £47.39

$40.61 £30.47

55.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.55 £32.68

$55.1 £41.32

-20.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.83 £13.37

$18.02 £13.52

-1.05%

Cinema Ticket

$11.52 £8.64

$13.26 £9.95

-13.12%

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

$2,692 £2,019

$1,252 £939

115.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K £21.1K

$19.9K £14.9K

41.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 £63.1

$84.2 £63.2

-0.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 £42.86

$42.72 £32.05

33.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 £70.2

$92.2 £69.2

1.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 £60.5

$106 £79.8

-24.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 £783

$1,789 £1,342

-41.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,043 £782

$1,242 £932

-16.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,243 £1,683

$3,014 £2,261

-25.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,415 £1,062

$1,961 £1,471

-27.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,882 £3,662

$4,552 £3,415

7.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,369 £2,528

$4,349 £3,262

-22.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,046 £2,285

$3,460 £2,596

-11.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.64

4.82

17.01%

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

Last update for Plymouth: October 18, 2026

Last update for Manchester: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Plymouth

$1K 40.1%

Manchester

$1.2K 49.1% 19.1% $199

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Plymouth

$558 21.5%

Manchester

$309 12.2% 44.7% $249

Eating Out

Plymouth

$328 12.6%

Manchester

$320 12.7% 2.4% $7.9

Groceries & Markets

Plymouth

$296 11.4%

Manchester

$301 11.9% 1.8% $5.4

Getting Around

Plymouth

$168 6.5%

Manchester

$132 5.2% 21.7% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Plymouth

$142 5.5%

Manchester

$146 5.8% 3.2% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Plymouth

$67 2.6%

Manchester

$82 3.2% 22.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,044 in Plymouth versus $1,789 in Manchester. 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 14% higher in Manchester, 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 $82.0 in Plymouth versus $87.0 in Manchester. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $296 vs $301 – making Plymouth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Plymouth

🇬🇧 Manchester

🕒 Local time

17:40 5:40 PM

Same time as Plymouth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

264,695

503,100

💱 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

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Plymouth Manchester 370 km

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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

Plymouth vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Plymouth is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,903 per month in Plymouth and $3,798 in Manchester. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $2,692 per month in Plymouth and $1,252 in Manchester. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Plymouth – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Manchester, where all-in costs run around $2,532, than in Plymouth at $2,602. In Manchester it covers expenses comfortably, while in Plymouth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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