Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St Helens and Manchester

For one person, living is cheaper in St Helens: $1,993 a month against $2,544 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in St Helens
Learn more

St Helens Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
Learn more

Manchester Living Index

Jump to prices

St Helens

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$1,993

/mo nomad

Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,544

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,993 per month in St Helens vs $2,544 in Manchester, rent included.

St Helens $1,993
Manchester $2,544

A couple spends around $3,045 per month in St Helens vs $3,691 in Manchester, rent included.

St Helens $3,045
Manchester $3,691

A family of three spends $4,098 per month in St Helens vs $4,839 in Manchester, rent included.

St Helens $4,098
Manchester $4,839

St Helens is about 22% cheaper than Manchester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both St Helens and Manchester sit above the global median – St Helens by 48%, Manchester by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.90 £20.18

$19.64 £14.74

36.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 £59.0

$87.7 £65.8

-10.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 £7.86

$10.47 £7.85

0.10%

Cappuccino

$4.08 £3.06

$4.85 £3.64

-15.88%

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

$2.37 £1.78

$2.49 £1.87

-4.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 £1.50

$1.68 £1.26

18.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.36 £4.02

$7.75 £5.81

-30.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 £3.41

$6.72 £5.04

-32.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 £1.01

$1.43 £1.07

-6.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 £1.33

$1.94 £1.45

-8.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 £1.46

$1.87 £1.40

3.74%

Eggs

$4.01 £3.01

$3.97 £2.98

1.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.00 £6.75

$9.40 £7.05

-4.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.28 £6.21

$9.02 £6.77

-8.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 £7.99

$15.39 £11.55

-30.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 £2.44

$3.09 £2.32

5.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 £0.97

$1.58 £1.19

-17.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 £2.27

$3.03 £2.28

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 £2.59

$3.37 £2.52

2.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 £0.86

$1.56 £1.17

-26.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 £1.37

$1.36 £1.02

34.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 £0.98

$1.20 £0.90

8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 £0.98

$1.27 £0.95

2.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.59 £14.70

$23.80 £17.85

-17.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 £7.47

$11.11 £8.34

-10.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 £2.14

$2.50 £1.88

14.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 £1.95

$3.12 £2.34

-16.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 £1.99

$2.67 £2.00

-0.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 £75.1

$104 £77.8

-3.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 £2.53

$4.51 £3.39

-25.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 £1.56

$2.18 £1.64

-5.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.82 £11.87

$29.56 £22.18

-46.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.46

$2.11 £1.58

-8.06%

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

$26.4K £19.8K

$37.5K £28.1K

-29.48%

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

$33.6K £25.2K

$40.3K £30.2K

-16.53%

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

$365 £274

$250 £188

45.76%

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

$17.20 £12.91

$16.38 £12.29

5.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.87 £32.91

$40.35 £30.27

8.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.94 £20.21

$55.5 £41.65

-51.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.85 £2.89

$18.33 £13.75

-79.00%

Cinema Ticket

$13.42 £10.07

$13.11 £9.84

2.36%

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

$805 £604

$1,240 £930

-35.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,625 £4,971

$19.5K £14.6K

-65.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.0 £48.78

$84.5 £63.4

-23.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.08 £29.32

$41.39 £31.05

-5.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 £54.3

$91.6 £68.7

-21.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 £81.7

$103 £77.6

5.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 £598

$1,827 £1,371

-56.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$636 £477

$1,267 £950

-49.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 £1,128

$3,044 £2,284

-50.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 £943

$1,983 £1,488

-36.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,315 £2,487

$4,537 £3,403

-26.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,308 £1,731

$4,324 £3,244

-46.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,863 £1,398

$3,329 £2,498

-44.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.21

4.82

8.09%

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

Last update for St Helens: October 11, 2026

Last update for Manchester: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

St Helens

$636 31.9%

Manchester

$1.3K 49.8% 99.3% $631

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St Helens

$426 21.4%

Manchester

$307 12.1% 27.9% $119

Eating Out

St Helens

$349 17.5%

Manchester

$316 12.4% 9.5% $33

Groceries & Markets

St Helens

$276 13.9%

Manchester

$299 11.8% 8.2% $23

Clothing & Footwear

St Helens

$128 6.4%

Manchester

$144 5.7% 12.5% $16

Getting Around

St Helens

$124 6.2%

Manchester

$130 5.1% 4.3% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

St Helens

$54 2.7%

Manchester

$82 3.2% 52% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $797 in St Helens 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 79% 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 $79.0 in St Helens versus $88.0 in Manchester. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $299 – making St Helens the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 St Helens

🇬🇧 Manchester

🕒 Local time

00:08 12:08 AM

Same time as St Helens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

183,200

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

St Helens Manchester 33 km

From you

St Helens
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

St Helens vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manchester is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,989 per month in St Helens 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 St Helens, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $805 per month in St Helens 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 8% 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 St Helens, where all-in costs run around $1,993, than in Manchester at $2,544. In St Helens it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manchester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward St Helens – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with St Helens. 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.