Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Poole and Manchester

For one person, living is cheaper in Manchester: $2,499 a month against $2,641 in Poole, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Poole
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Poole Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index

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Poole

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,641

/mo nomad

Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,641 per month in Poole vs $2,499 in Manchester, rent included.

Poole $2,641
Manchester $2,499

A couple spends around $3,917 per month in Poole vs $3,623 in Manchester, rent included.

Poole $3,917
Manchester $3,623

A family of three spends $5,193 per month in Poole vs $4,747 in Manchester, rent included.

Poole $5,193
Manchester $4,747

Poole costs about 6% more than Manchester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Poole and Manchester sit above the global median – Poole by 94%, Manchester by 84%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.28 £17.38

$20.22 £15.10

15.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 £75.9

$86.0 £64.2

18.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.03

$10.74 £8.02

0.09%

Cappuccino

$5.19 £3.87

$4.68 £3.49

10.90%

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

$3.08 £2.30

$2.44 £1.82

26.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 £1.68

$1.62 £1.21

38.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.86 £5.12

$7.78 £5.81

-11.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 £5.29

$6.70 £5.00

5.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 £1.27

$1.51 £1.12

12.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 £1.16

$1.88 £1.41

-17.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 £1.68

$1.94 £1.45

15.98%

Eggs

$4.21 £3.14

$4.08 £3.04

3.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.50 £4.85

$9.61 £7.17

-32.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.76 £8.03

$8.98 £6.71

19.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.70 £9.48

$15.41 £11.51

-17.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 £1.69

$3.09 £2.31

-26.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 £1.29

$1.58 £1.18

9.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 £1.46

$2.95 £2.20

-33.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 £1.62

$3.35 £2.50

-35.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 £1.51

$1.51 £1.13

34.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 £1.12

$1.35 £1.01

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 £1.33

$1.26 £0.94

41.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 £1.43

$1.23 £0.92

56.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.87 £17.82

$24.05 £17.95

-0.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 £7.26

$10.88 £8.13

-10.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 £2.25

$2.43 £1.81

23.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 £1.84

$3.17 £2.36

-22.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.89 £2.90

$2.73 £2.04

42.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 £56.7

$108 £80.6

-29.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 £2.45

$4.52 £3.37

-27.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 £1.83

$2.22 £1.66

10.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.62 £16.15

$30.82 £23.01

-29.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 £1.52

$2.14 £1.60

-5.14%

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

$39.1K £29.2K

$38.5K £28.7K

1.54%

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

$40.5K £30.3K

$40.0K £29.9K

1.23%

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

$359 £268

$252 £189

42.17%

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

$20.32 £15.17

$16.23 £12.12

25.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.31 £32.33

$39.58 £29.56

9.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.8 £60.4

$42.67 £31.86

89.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.05 £13.48

Cinema Ticket

$20.54 £15.34

$13.44 £10.04

52.83%

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

$2,128 £1,589

$1,494 £1,116

42.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K £25.2K

$19.7K £14.7K

71.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 £65.4

$83.5 £62.4

4.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 £29.32

$42.97 £32.09

-8.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £75.9

$95.0 £70.9

7.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 £62.6

$106 £79.1

-20.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,176 £878

$1,785 £1,333

-34.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 £903

$1,222 £913

-1.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 £1,697

$2,930 £2,188

-22.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 £1,563

$1,899 £1,418

10.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,668 £3,486

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,119 £1,582

$4,397 £3,283

-51.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,307 £2,469

$3,395 £2,535

-2.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

4.82

2.90%

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

Last update for Poole: October 27, 2026

Last update for Manchester: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Poole

$1.2K 45.8%

Manchester

$1.2K 48.9% 1.1% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Poole

$423 16%

Manchester

$308 12.3% 27% $114

Eating Out

Poole

$351 13.3%

Manchester

$319 12.8% 9.1% $32

Groceries & Markets

Poole

$289 10.9%

Manchester

$299 12% 3.4% $9.9

Clothing & Footwear

Poole

$141 5.3%

Manchester

$147 5.9% 4.8% $6.8

Sport & Entertainment

Poole

$122 4.6%

Manchester

$70 2.8% 42.9% $52

Getting Around

Poole

$107 4.1%

Manchester

$134 5.4% 25.6% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,176 in Poole 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.

Salaries run about 3% 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 $102 in Poole versus $86 in Manchester. Groceries tell a different story – $289 in Poole vs $299 in Manchester – so Poole wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Poole

🇬🇧 Manchester

🕒 Local time

00:55 12:55 AM

Same time as Poole

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

154,718

503,100

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Poole Manchester 310 km

From you

Poole
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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

Poole vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Poole is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,961 per month in Poole 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 Poole, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,176 there versus $1,785 in Manchester.

Kindergarten costs $2,128 per month in Poole 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 Poole – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

It depends on your priorities. Manchester has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,499 in Manchester to $2,641 in Poole. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.