Cost of Living Comparison Between Southampton and Manchester Cost of Living Comparison Between Southampton and Manchester

😐 Solo nomad: Southampton is 6.8% more expensive than Manchester without rent, and 1% cheaper with rent.
🙂 Family of 3: Southampton is 0.1% cheaper than Manchester without rent, and 4.6% cheaper with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Southampton
Manchester
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$27.41 £20.17
$20.43 £15.04
34.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.6 £56.4
$95.8 £70.5
-20.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.47 £8.44
$10.68 £7.86
7.40%
Cappuccino
$5.15 £3.79
$5.05 £3.72
1.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 £1.98
$2.57 £1.89
4.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 £1.75
$1.73 £1.28
37.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.11 £5.23
$7.26 £5.34
-2.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.64 £4.89
$7.48 £5.51
-11.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Southampton
Manchester
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 £1.13
$1.63 £1.2
-6.13%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 £1.06
$1.72 £1.26
-16.28%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.68 £2.71
$2.17 £1.6
69.59%
Eggs
$5.29 £3.89
$3.89 £2.86
35.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.71 £7.14
$12.14 £8.93
-20.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.22 £6.79
$9.7 £7.14
-4.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.72 £10.84
$16.94 £12.46
-13.11%
Apples (1kg)
$2.38 £1.75
$3.3 £2.43
-27.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.59 £1.17
$1.87 £1.37
-14.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.5 £1.84
$3.95 £2.91
-36.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.04 £2.24
$4.35 £3.2
-30.11%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 £1.36
$2.14 £1.58
-13.55%
Onion (1kg)
$1.17 £0.86
$1.81 £1.33
-35.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.96 £0.7
$1.31 £0.97
-26.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.29 £1.69
$1.5 £1.1
52.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.51 £12.88
$18.67 £13.74
-6.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.32 £8.33
$10.44 £7.68
8.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.24 £3.12
$2.58 £1.9
64.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 £2.56
$3.46 £2.54
0.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Southampton
Manchester
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.9 £2.14
$2.74 £2.02
5.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$89.3 £65.7
$123 £90.2
-27.12%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.24 £3.12
$5.3 £3.9
-20.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.97 £1.45
$2.92 £2.15
-32.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.02 £24.3
$33.89 £24.94
-2.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.94 £1.43
$1.88 £1.38
3.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.7K £28.5K
$38.3K £28.2K
0.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.1K £30.2K
$40.9K £30.1K
0.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Southampton
Manchester
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$341 £251
$293 £215
16.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.69 £13.76
$22.46 £16.53
-16.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54 £39.73
$43.09 £31.71
25.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Southampton
Manchester
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.11 £30.25
$41.03 £30.19
0.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.4 £13.54
$15.53 £11.43
18.48%
Cinema Ticket
$12.35 £9.09
$13.75 £10.12
-10.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Southampton
Manchester
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,501 £1,104
$1,981 £1,458
-24.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.1K £13.3K
$20.6K £15.2K
-12.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Southampton
Manchester
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$114 £83.6
$91.8 £67.5
23.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54 £39.73
$41.44 £30.49
30.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$115 £84.5
$87.9 £64.7
30.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$147 £108
$106 £78
38.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Southampton
Manchester
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,408 £1,036
$1,595 £1,174
-11.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,182 £870
$1,267 £932
-6.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,395 £1,762
$2,742 £2,018
-12.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,821 £1,340
$2,072 £1,525
-12.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,974 £4,396
$5,685 £4,184
5.08%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,440 £4,003
$3,908 £2,876
39.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Southampton
Manchester
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,307 £2,434
$3,332 £2,452
-0.74%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.62
5.92
-5.07%

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

Last update for Southampton: October 28, 2025

Last update for Manchester: October 29, 2025

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