Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stafford and Manchester

For one person, living is cheaper in Stafford: $2,238 a month against $2,510 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Stafford
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Stafford Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index

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Stafford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,238

/mo nomad

Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,510

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,238 per month in Stafford vs $2,510 in Manchester, rent included.

Stafford $2,238
Manchester $2,510

A couple spends around $3,350 per month in Stafford vs $3,643 in Manchester, rent included.

Stafford $3,350
Manchester $3,643

A family of three spends $4,461 per month in Stafford vs $4,776 in Manchester, rent included.

Stafford $4,461
Manchester $4,776

Stafford is about 11% cheaper than Manchester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Stafford and Manchester sit above the global median – Stafford by 66%, Manchester by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.50 £16.03

$20.16 £15.03

6.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.0 £55.9

$87.5 £65.2

-14.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 £7.86

$10.78 £8.04

-2.23%

Cappuccino

$4.71 £3.52

$4.78 £3.57

-1.46%

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

$2.07 £1.54

$2.62 £1.96

-20.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 £1.31

$1.74 £1.30

0.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.65 £4.96

$7.92 £5.91

-16.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 £3.89

$6.52 £4.86

-20.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.35 £1.01

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 £1.16

$1.88 £1.40

-17.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 £1.57

$1.92 £1.43

9.38%

Eggs

$3.56 £2.66

$4.04 £3.02

-11.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.25 £7.64

$9.58 £7.14

6.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 £6.76

$9.26 £6.91

-2.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 £9.54

$15.66 £11.68

-18.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 £2.16

$3.07 £2.29

-5.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 £1.31

$1.53 £1.14

14.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 £2.74

$2.91 £2.17

26.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 £2.56

$3.53 £2.63

-2.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 £1.55

$1.54 £1.15

34.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 £1.35

$1.38 £1.03

31.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 £0.88

$1.21 £0.90

-2.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 £1.24

$1.38 £1.03

20.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.78 £16.24

$24.21 £18.05

-10.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.50 £7.08

$11.05 £8.24

-14.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.53

$2.49 £1.85

36.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 £2.88

$2.90 £2.16

33.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.73 £3.52

$2.61 £1.94

81.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.5 £69.0

$109 £81.3

-15.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 £2.05

$4.47 £3.33

-38.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 £1.02

$2.21 £1.65

-38.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.75 £19.20

$30.93 £23.06

-16.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 £1.57

$2.18 £1.62

-3.67%

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

$38.4K £28.6K

$39.2K £29.3K

-2.14%

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

$40.7K £30.3K

$39.9K £29.8K

1.94%

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

$294 £219

$248 £185

18.38%

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

$20.19 £15.06

$16.31 £12.16

23.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.52 £31.70

$39.73 £29.63

7.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.64 £30.30

$42.93 £32.01

-5.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.57 £14.59

$17.99 £13.41

8.78%

Cinema Ticket

$15.81 £11.79

$13.46 £10.04

17.46%

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

$1,250 £932

$1,448 £1,080

-13.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,719 £5,756

$21.0K £15.7K

-63.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.5 £56.3

$83.3 £62.1

-9.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.03 £35.07

$43.32 £32.30

8.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 £63.2

$95.4 £71.2

-11.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.2 £73.2

$99.9 £74.5

-1.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 £857

$1,818 £1,355

-36.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$926 £690

$1,234 £920

-24.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 £1,190

$2,925 £2,181

-45.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 £1,222

$1,921 £1,432

-14.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,986 £2,972

$4,751 £3,543

-16.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,330 £2,483

$4,313 £3,216

-22.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,998 £2,236

$3,798 £2,832

-21.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

4.79

12.11%

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

Last update for Stafford: November 2, 2026

Last update for Manchester: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stafford

$926 41.4%

Manchester

$1.2K 49.2% 33.2% $308

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stafford

$357 15.9%

Manchester

$304 12.1% 14.7% $52

Eating Out

Stafford

$319 14.3%

Manchester

$321 12.8% 0.6% $1.9

Groceries & Markets

Stafford

$306 13.7%

Manchester

$301 12% 1.5% $4.5

Clothing & Footwear

Stafford

$137 6.1%

Manchester

$145 5.8% 5.4% $7.4

Getting Around

Stafford

$121 5.4%

Manchester

$135 5.4% 11.6% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Stafford

$72 3.2%

Manchester

$70 2.8% 3.3% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,149 in Stafford versus $1,818 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 27% higher in Manchester. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Stafford versus $87 in Manchester. Groceries tell a different story – $306 in Stafford vs $301 in Manchester – so Manchester wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Stafford

🇬🇧 Manchester

🕒 Local time

22:04 10:04 PM

Same time as Stafford

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,673

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

Stafford Manchester 75 km

From you

Stafford
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

Stafford vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manchester is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,357 per month in Stafford and $3,765 in Manchester. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Stafford, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,149 there versus $1,818 in Manchester.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,238 in Stafford and $2,510 in Manchester. That makes Stafford about 11% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,250 per month in Stafford and $1,448 in Manchester. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,238 in Stafford and $2,510 in Manchester. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Stafford – 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 Stafford. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manchester makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.