Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shrewsbury, Shropshire and Manchester

For one person, living is cheaper in Shrewsbury, Shropshire: $2,060 a month against $2,532 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Shrewsbury, Shropshire
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Shrewsbury, Shropshire Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index

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Shrewsbury, Shropshire

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,060

/mo nomad

Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,060 per month in Shrewsbury, Shropshire vs $2,532 in Manchester, rent included.

Shrewsbury, Shropshire $2,060
Manchester $2,532

A couple spends around $2,922 per month in Shrewsbury, Shropshire vs $3,686 in Manchester, rent included.

Shrewsbury, Shropshire $2,922
Manchester $3,686

A family of three spends $3,784 per month in Shrewsbury, Shropshire vs $4,839 in Manchester, rent included.

Shrewsbury, Shropshire $3,784
Manchester $4,839

Shrewsbury, Shropshire is about 19% cheaper than Manchester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shrewsbury, Shropshire and Manchester sit above the global median – Shrewsbury, Shropshire by 52%, Manchester by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.87 £14.91

$20.23 £15.18

-1.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.1 £42.08

$87.1 £65.3

-35.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 £6.57

$10.83 £8.12

-19.11%

Cappuccino

$4.57 £3.43

$4.81 £3.61

-4.99%

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

$3.00 £2.25

$2.44 £1.83

22.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 £1.86

$1.62 £1.21

52.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.30 £3.98

$7.82 £5.87

-32.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 £5.10

$6.48 £4.86

4.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.50

$1.45 £1.09

37.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 £1.79

$1.95 £1.47

22.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 £1.61

$1.86 £1.40

15.59%

Eggs

$4.09 £3.07

$4.05 £3.04

0.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.95 £5.96

$9.76 £7.32

-18.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.08 £6.81

$9.11 £6.83

-0.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 £7.02

$15.52 £11.64

-39.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 £1.56

$3.20 £2.40

-35.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 £0.96

$1.52 £1.14

-15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 £1.87

$3.02 £2.26

-17.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 £0.87

$3.34 £2.51

-65.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.55 £1.17

-5.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 £0.80

$1.30 £0.98

-17.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 £0.71

$1.22 £0.92

-22.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 £0.90

$1.28 £0.96

-6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.96 £17.97

$23.68 £17.77

1.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.07 £6.80

$10.88 £8.16

-16.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 £1.97

$2.55 £1.91

2.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 £3.40

$3.15 £2.36

44.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 £2.15

$2.68 £2.01

6.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.6 £68.7

$105 £79.1

-13.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 £4.59

$4.42 £3.31

38.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.96 £2.97

$2.20 £1.65

80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 £22.85

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.42

$2.04 £1.53

-6.86%

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

$39.2K £29.4K

0.04%

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

$40.3K £30.2K

0.07%

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

$203 £152

$252 £189

-19.53%

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

$23.89 £17.93

$16.62 £12.47

43.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.81 £29.87

$40.61 £30.47

-1.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.8 £57.6

$55.1 £41.32

39.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.20 £9.91

$18.02 £13.52

-26.75%

Cinema Ticket

$15.15 £11.37

$13.26 £9.95

14.25%

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

$1,452 £1,090

$1,252 £939

16.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K £13.9K

$19.9K £14.9K

-6.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 £45.74

$84.2 £63.2

-27.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.80 £35.11

$42.72 £32.05

9.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 £62.8

$92.2 £69.2

-9.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 £75.3

$106 £79.8

-5.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 £790

$1,789 £1,342

-41.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$859 £645

$1,242 £932

-30.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 £1,174

$3,014 £2,261

-48.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 £910

$1,961 £1,471

-38.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 £2,993

$4,552 £3,415

-12.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,948 £2,212

$4,349 £3,262

-32.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,434 £1,826

$3,460 £2,596

-29.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.3

4.82

9.96%

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

Last update for Shrewsbury, Shropshire: 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

Shrewsbury, Shropshire

$859 41.7%

Manchester

$1.2K 49.1% 44.5% $383

Eating Out

Shrewsbury, Shropshire

$302 14.7%

Manchester

$320 12.7% 6.1% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shrewsbury, Shropshire

$266 12.9%

Manchester

$309 12.2% 16% $43

Groceries & Markets

Shrewsbury, Shropshire

$265 12.9%

Manchester

$301 11.9% 13.7% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Shrewsbury, Shropshire

$131 6.4%

Manchester

$146 5.8% 11.5% $15

Getting Around

Shrewsbury, Shropshire

$129 6.3%

Manchester

$132 5.2% 2% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Shrewsbury, Shropshire

$107 5.2%

Manchester

$82 3.2% 23.8% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,053 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire 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 42% 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 $56.0 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire versus $87.0 in Manchester. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $265 vs $301 – making Shrewsbury, Shropshire the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Shrewsbury, Shropshire

🇬🇧 Manchester

🕒 Local time

21:10 9:10 PM

Same time as Shrewsbury, Shropshire

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

76,782

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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Shrewsbury, Shropshire Manchester 90 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

Shrewsbury, Shropshire vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manchester is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,090 per month in Shrewsbury, Shropshire 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 Shrewsbury, Shropshire, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,452 per month in Shrewsbury, Shropshire 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 14% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, where all-in costs run around $2,060, than in Manchester at $2,532. In Shrewsbury, Shropshire it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manchester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shrewsbury, Shropshire – 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 Shrewsbury, Shropshire. 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.