Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Scarborough and Manchester

For one person, living is cheaper in Scarborough: $2,130 a month against $2,532 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Scarborough
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Scarborough Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index

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Scarborough

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,130

/mo nomad

Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,130 per month in Scarborough vs $2,532 in Manchester, rent included.

Scarborough $2,130
Manchester $2,532

A couple spends around $3,096 per month in Scarborough vs $3,686 in Manchester, rent included.

Scarborough $3,096
Manchester $3,686

A family of three spends $4,062 per month in Scarborough vs $4,839 in Manchester, rent included.

Scarborough $4,062
Manchester $4,839

Scarborough is about 16% cheaper than Manchester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Scarborough and Manchester sit above the global median – Scarborough by 57%, Manchester by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.36 £11.53

$20.23 £15.18

-24.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 £53.4

$87.1 £65.3

-18.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 £9.09

$10.83 £8.12

11.91%

Cappuccino

$3.51 £2.63

$4.81 £3.61

-27.03%

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

$2.05 £1.53

$2.44 £1.83

-15.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 £0.77

$1.62 £1.21

-37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.58 £3.44

$7.82 £5.87

-41.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 £3.22

$6.48 £4.86

-33.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 £0.97

$1.45 £1.09

-11.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 £1.03

$1.95 £1.47

-29.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 £0.81

$1.86 £1.40

-41.94%

Eggs

$3.60 £2.70

$4.05 £3.04

-11.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 £5.94

$9.76 £7.32

-18.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.18 £5.39

$9.11 £6.83

-21.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 £10.46

$15.52 £11.64

-10.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 £2.35

$3.20 £2.40

-2.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 £1.49

$1.52 £1.14

30.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 £1.99

$3.02 £2.26

-12.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 £1.57

$3.34 £2.51

-37.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 £1.30

$1.55 £1.17

12.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.30 £0.98

24.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 £0.87

$1.22 £0.92

-5.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 £1.43

$1.28 £0.96

49.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.58 £16.94

$23.68 £17.77

-4.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 £7.19

$10.88 £8.16

-11.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.65 £2.74

$2.55 £1.91

43.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 £2.70

$3.15 £2.36

14.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.30 £2.48

$2.68 £2.01

23.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.0 £64.5

$105 £79.1

-18.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 £4.30

$4.42 £3.31

29.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.97 £3.73

$2.20 £1.65

125.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.58 £25.19

$30.45 £22.85

10.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 £1.48

$2.04 £1.53

-2.94%

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

$36.0K £27.0K

$39.2K £29.4K

-8.14%

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

$39.9K £29.9K

$40.3K £30.2K

-0.89%

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

$356 £267

$252 £189

41.48%

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

$25.99 £19.50

$16.62 £12.47

56.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 £24.56

$40.61 £30.47

-19.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.1 £49.59

$55.1 £41.32

20.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.67 £9.50

$18.02 £13.52

-29.69%

Cinema Ticket

$10.66 £7.99

$13.26 £9.95

-19.61%

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

$1,804 £1,353

$1,252 £939

44.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K £11.1K

$19.9K £14.9K

-25.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 £49.73

$84.2 £63.2

-21.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.54 £26.66

$42.72 £32.05

-16.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £81.3

$92.2 £69.2

17.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 £85.2

$106 £79.8

6.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$867 £651

$1,789 £1,342

-51.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$831 £624

$1,242 £932

-33.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 £1,143

$3,014 £2,261

-49.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,365 £1,024

$1,961 £1,471

-30.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,552 £3,415

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,349 £3,262

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$910 £683

$3,460 £2,596

-73.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.53

4.82

14.73%

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

Last update for Scarborough: 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

Scarborough

$831 39%

Manchester

$1.2K 49.1% 49.5% $411

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Scarborough

$415 19.5%

Manchester

$309 12.2% 25.5% $106

Groceries & Markets

Scarborough

$276 13%

Manchester

$301 11.9% 9.1% $25

Eating Out

Scarborough

$245 11.5%

Manchester

$320 12.7% 30.7% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Scarborough

$146 6.8%

Manchester

$146 5.8% 0.6% $0.8

Getting Around

Scarborough

$130 6.1%

Manchester

$132 5.2% 1.3% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Scarborough

$87 4.1%

Manchester

$82 3.2% 6.7% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $867 in Scarborough 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 280% 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 $71.0 in Scarborough versus $87.0 in Manchester. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $301 – making Scarborough the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Scarborough

🇬🇧 Manchester

🕒 Local time

05:57 5:57 AM

Same time as Scarborough

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

61,749

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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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

Scarborough vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manchester is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,195 per month in Scarborough 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 Scarborough, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,804 per month in Scarborough and $1,252 in Manchester. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Manchester, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Scarborough, where all-in costs run around $2,130, than in Manchester at $2,532. In Scarborough it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manchester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Scarborough – 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 Scarborough. 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.