Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Southampton and Manchester

For one person, living is cheaper in Manchester: $2,499 a month against $2,655 in Southampton, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Southampton
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Southampton Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index

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Southampton

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,655

/mo nomad

Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,655 per month in Southampton vs $2,499 in Manchester, rent included.

Southampton $2,655
Manchester $2,499

A couple spends around $3,818 per month in Southampton vs $3,623 in Manchester, rent included.

Southampton $3,818
Manchester $3,623

A family of three spends $4,981 per month in Southampton vs $4,747 in Manchester, rent included.

Southampton $4,981
Manchester $4,747

Southampton costs about 6% more than Manchester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Southampton and Manchester sit above the global median – Southampton by 95%, Manchester by 84%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.76 £19.98

$20.22 £15.10

32.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 £66.9

$86.0 £64.2

4.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.12 £8.30

$10.74 £8.02

3.54%

Cappuccino

$5.43 £4.05

$4.68 £3.49

16.03%

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

$2.98 £2.22

$2.44 £1.82

22.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 £1.67

$1.62 £1.21

38.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.46 £5.57

$7.78 £5.81

-4.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.75 £5.04

$6.70 £5.00

0.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.49

$1.51 £1.12

31.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.88 £1.41

-8.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 £2.27

$1.94 £1.45

56.70%

Eggs

$4.42 £3.30

$4.08 £3.04

8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.84 £7.35

$9.61 £7.17

2.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 £7.22

$8.98 £6.71

7.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.44 £10.78

$15.41 £11.51

-6.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 £2.13

$3.09 £2.31

-7.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 £1.31

$1.58 £1.18

10.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 £2.12

$2.95 £2.20

-3.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 £2.53

$3.35 £2.50

1.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 £1.37

$1.51 £1.13

21.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.35 £1.01

17.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 £0.90

$1.26 £0.94

-3.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 £1.36

$1.23 £0.92

47.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.33 £15.93

$24.05 £17.95

-11.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 £8.31

$10.88 £8.13

2.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 £2.21

$2.43 £1.81

21.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 £2.54

$3.17 £2.36

7.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.32 £2.48

$2.73 £2.04

21.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.1 £58.3

$108 £80.6

-27.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.31 £3.22

$4.52 £3.37

-4.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 £1.46

$2.22 £1.66

-12.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.03 £23.92

$30.82 £23.01

3.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 £1.61

$2.14 £1.60

0.93%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$38.5K £28.7K

-0.68%

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

$40.9K £30.5K

$40.0K £29.9K

2.12%

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

$327 £244

$252 £189

29.52%

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

$29.33 £21.90

$16.23 £12.12

80.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.3 £39.77

$39.58 £29.56

34.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.74 £28.18

$42.67 £31.86

-11.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.78 £12.53

$18.05 £13.48

-7.04%

Cinema Ticket

$15.96 £11.91

$13.44 £10.04

18.75%

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

$1,886 £1,408

$1,494 £1,116

26.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K £13.7K

$19.7K £14.7K

-6.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 £79.1

$83.5 £62.4

26.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 £38.34

$42.97 £32.09

19.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £76.4

$95.0 £70.9

7.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 £97.7

$106 £79.1

23.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 £1,135

$1,785 £1,333

-14.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 £888

$1,222 £913

-2.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,360 £1,762

$2,930 £2,188

-19.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 £1,353

$1,899 £1,418

-4.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,632 £4,206

$4,668 £3,486

20.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 £3,621

$4,397 £3,283

10.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,372 £2,518

$3,395 £2,535

-0.68%

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 Southampton: October 24, 2026

Last update for Manchester: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Southampton

$1.2K 44.8%

Manchester

$1.2K 48.9% 2.7% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Southampton

$410 15.4%

Manchester

$308 12.3% 24.7% $101

Eating Out

Southampton

$384 14.5%

Manchester

$319 12.8% 17.1% $66

Groceries & Markets

Southampton

$320 12.1%

Manchester

$299 12% 6.8% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Southampton

$176 6.6%

Manchester

$147 5.9% 16.1% $28

Getting Around

Southampton

$105 4%

Manchester

$134 5.4% 27.5% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Southampton

$70 2.6%

Manchester

$70 2.8% 0.2% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,520 in Southampton 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Southampton versus $86 in Manchester. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $299 – making Manchester the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Southampton

🇬🇧 Manchester

🕒 Local time

13:52 1:52 PM

Same time as Southampton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

228,600

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

Southampton Manchester 290 km

From you

Southampton
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

Southampton vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,982 per month in Southampton 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 Southampton, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,520 there versus $1,785 in Manchester.

Kindergarten costs $1,886 per month in Southampton and $1,494 in Manchester. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Southampton, though the gap depends on what you buy.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Manchester costs $2,499 versus $2,655 in Southampton. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.