Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sheffield and Manchester

For one person, living is cheaper in Sheffield: $2,252 a month against $2,532 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Sheffield
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Sheffield Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index

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Sheffield

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,252

/mo nomad

Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,228 per month in Sheffield vs $2,544 in Manchester, rent included.

Sheffield $2,228
Manchester $2,544

A couple spends around $3,217 per month in Sheffield vs $3,691 in Manchester, rent included.

Sheffield $3,217
Manchester $3,691

A family of three spends $4,206 per month in Sheffield vs $4,839 in Manchester, rent included.

Sheffield $4,206
Manchester $4,839

Sheffield is about 12% cheaper than Manchester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sheffield and Manchester sit above the global median – Sheffield by 65%, Manchester by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.13 £15.10

$20.23 £15.18

-0.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 £61.2

$87.1 £65.3

-6.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 £7.83

$10.83 £8.12

-3.60%

Cappuccino

$4.23 £3.17

$4.81 £3.61

-12.06%

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

$2.40 £1.80

$2.44 £1.83

-1.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 £0.99

$1.62 £1.21

-18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 £4.39

$7.82 £5.87

-25.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 £4.06

$6.48 £4.86

-16.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 £1.07

$1.45 £1.09

-1.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.95 £1.47

-0.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 £1.98

$1.86 £1.40

41.94%

Eggs

$4.00 £3.00

$4.05 £3.04

-1.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.60 £6.45

$9.76 £7.32

-11.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 £6.32

$9.11 £6.83

-7.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.70 £11.03

$15.52 £11.64

-5.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 £2.33

$3.20 £2.40

-3.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 £0.94

$1.52 £1.14

-17.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 £2.00

$3.02 £2.26

-11.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 £2.20

$3.34 £2.51

-11.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 £1.39

$1.55 £1.17

19.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 £0.99

$1.30 £0.98

1.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 £0.91

$1.22 £0.92

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 £1.01

$1.28 £0.96

5.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.28 £15.21

$23.68 £17.77

-14.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.26 £8.45

$10.88 £8.16

3.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 £2.51

$2.55 £1.91

30.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 £2.37

$3.15 £2.36

0.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.02 £3.02

$2.68 £2.01

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.6 £70.2

$105 £79.1

-11.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 £3.97

$4.42 £3.31

19.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 £1.03

$2.20 £1.65

-37.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.03 £15.03

$30.45 £22.85

-34.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 £1.58

$2.04 £1.53

3.43%

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

$38.7K £29.0K

$39.2K £29.4K

-1.11%

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

$40.2K £30.2K

$40.3K £30.2K

-0.18%

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

$336 £252

$252 £189

33.54%

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

$20.83 £15.62

$16.62 £12.47

25.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.60 £32.71

$40.61 £30.47

7.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.61 £32.72

$55.1 £41.32

-20.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.62 £6.46

$18.02 £13.52

-52.16%

Cinema Ticket

$12.73 £9.55

$13.26 £9.95

-4.00%

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

$1,199 £899

$1,252 £939

-4.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K £18.2K

$19.9K £14.9K

21.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.8 £65.1

$84.2 £63.2

3.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.94 £31.46

$42.72 £32.05

-1.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 £68.8

$92.2 £69.2

-0.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.0 £69.0

$106 £79.8

-13.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 £891

$1,789 £1,342

-33.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$926 £695

$1,242 £932

-25.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,818 £1,364

$3,014 £2,261

-39.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 £1,070

$1,961 £1,471

-27.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,603 £4,204

$4,552 £3,415

23.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,724 £2,043

$4,349 £3,262

-37.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,149 £2,363

$3,460 £2,596

-8.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

4.82

-1.04%

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

Last update for Sheffield: October 20, 2026

Last update for Manchester: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sheffield

$926 41.1%

Manchester

$1.2K 49.1% 34.1% $316

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sheffield

$401 17.8%

Manchester

$309 12.2% 22.9% $92

Eating Out

Sheffield

$298 13.2%

Manchester

$320 12.7% 7.5% $22

Groceries & Markets

Sheffield

$295 13.1%

Manchester

$301 11.9% 2% $5.8

Clothing & Footwear

Sheffield

$141 6.3%

Manchester

$146 5.8% 4.2% $5.8

Getting Around

Sheffield

$122 5.4%

Manchester

$132 5.2% 8% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

Sheffield

$69 3.1%

Manchester

$82 3.2% 18.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,179 in Sheffield versus $1,827 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 7% 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 $81.0 in Sheffield versus $88.0 in Manchester. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $299 – making Sheffield the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Sheffield

🇬🇧 Manchester

🕒 Local time

10:59 10:59 AM

Same time as Sheffield

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

547,000

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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sheffield Manchester 52 km

From you

Sheffield
Manchester

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Sheffield vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manchester is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,342 per month in Sheffield and $3,816 in Manchester. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,228 per month in Sheffield and $1,240 in Manchester. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% 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 $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Sheffield, where all-in costs run around $2,228, than in Manchester at $2,544. In Sheffield it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manchester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sheffield – 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 Sheffield. 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.