Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stratford upon Avon and Manchester

For one person, living is cheaper in Stratford upon Avon: $2,064 a month against $2,532 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Stratford upon Avon
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,064
/mo nomad
Manchester
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,532
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Stratford upon Avon vs $2,532 in Manchester, rent included.

  • Stratford upon Avon $2,064
  • Manchester $2,532

A couple spends around $3,090 per month in Stratford upon Avon vs $3,686 in Manchester, rent included.

  • Stratford upon Avon $3,090
  • Manchester $3,686

A family of three spends $4,116 per month in Stratford upon Avon vs $4,839 in Manchester, rent included.

  • Stratford upon Avon $4,116
  • Manchester $4,839

Stratford upon Avon is about 19% cheaper than Manchester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Stratford upon Avon and Manchester sit above the global median – Stratford upon Avon by 52%, Manchester by 87%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Stratford upon Avon
Manchester
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.18 £15.14
$20.23 £15.18
-0.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.0 £60.0
$87.1 £65.3
-8.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.70 £8.03
$10.83 £8.12
-1.20%
Cappuccino
$4.52 £3.39
$4.81 £3.61
-6.03%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 £1.61
$2.44 £1.83
-12.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 £1.15
$1.62 £1.21
-4.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.50 £4.87
$7.82 £5.87
-16.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.62 £3.46
$6.48 £4.86
-28.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Stratford upon Avon
Manchester
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 £1.24
$1.45 £1.09
14.48%
White Bread (500g)
$1.89 £1.42
$1.95 £1.47
-3.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.33 £1.75
$1.86 £1.40
25.27%
Eggs
$4.47 £3.35
$4.05 £3.04
10.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.75 £8.82
$9.76 £7.32
20.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.01 £7.51
$9.11 £6.83
9.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.06 £12.80
$15.52 £11.64
9.92%
Apples (1kg)
$4.35 £3.26
$3.20 £2.40
35.94%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 £1.08
$1.52 £1.14
-5.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.87 £1.40
$3.02 £2.26
-38.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.53 £2.65
$3.34 £2.51
5.69%
Potato (1kg)
$1.55 £1.16
$1.55 £1.17
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.72 £1.29
$1.30 £0.98
32.31%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.33 £1.00
$1.22 £0.92
9.02%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.48 £1.11
$1.28 £0.96
15.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.87 £17.91
$23.68 £17.77
0.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.83 £8.12
$10.88 £8.16
-0.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.10 £2.33
$2.55 £1.91
21.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 £1.74
$3.15 £2.36
-26.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Stratford upon Avon
Manchester
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.68 £2.01
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$105 £79.1
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.69 £3.52
$4.42 £3.31
6.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.60 £1.20
$2.20 £1.65
-27.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.37 £29.53
$30.45 £22.85
29.29%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.01 £1.51
$2.04 £1.53
-1.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.9K £28.4K
$39.2K £29.4K
-3.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.3K £30.2K
$40.3K £30.2K
0.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Stratford upon Avon
Manchester
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$204 £153
$252 £189
-19.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.03 £12.03
$16.62 £12.47
-3.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$46.83 £35.13
$40.61 £30.47
15.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Stratford upon Avon
Manchester
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$55.1 £41.32
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.02 £13.52
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.67 £11.01
$13.26 £9.95
10.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Stratford upon Avon
Manchester
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,340 £1,005
$1,252 £939
7.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.1K £16.6K
$19.9K £14.9K
11.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Stratford upon Avon
Manchester
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.6 £50.7
$84.2 £63.2
-19.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.27 £23.46
$42.72 £32.05
-26.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$73.3 £55.0
$92.2 £69.2
-20.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.8 £59.1
$106 £79.8
-25.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Stratford upon Avon
Manchester
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,241 £931
$1,789 £1,342
-30.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,010 £758
$1,242 £932
-18.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,898 £1,424
$3,014 £2,261
-37.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,724 £1,293
$1,961 £1,471
-12.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,552 £3,415
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,349 £3,262
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Stratford upon Avon
Manchester
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,462 £2,597
$3,460 £2,596
0.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.47
4.82
13.49%

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

Last update for Stratford upon Avon: October 18, 2026

Last update for Manchester: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Stratford upon Avon
$1K
Manchester
$1.2K 22.9% $232
Groceries & Markets
Stratford upon Avon
$328
Manchester
$301 8.1% $26
Eating Out
Stratford upon Avon
$304
Manchester
$320 5.3% $16
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Stratford upon Avon
$267
Manchester
$309 15.9% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Stratford upon Avon
$113
Manchester
$146 29.7% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Stratford upon Avon
$29 *
Manchester
$82 178% $52
Getting Around
Stratford upon Avon
$13 *
Manchester
$132 935% $119

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,241 in Stratford upon Avon 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 0% higher in Stratford upon Avon, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Stratford upon Avon versus $87.0 in Manchester. Groceries tell a different story – $328 in Stratford upon Avon vs $301 in Manchester – so Manchester wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Stratford upon Avon
🇬🇧 Manchester
🕒 Local time
15:48 3:48 PM
15:48 3:48 PM
Same time as Stratford upon Avon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
30,495
503,100
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Stratford upon Avon Manchester 150 km
From you
  • Stratford upon Avon
  • 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
Stratford upon Avon vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Manchester cheaper than Stratford upon Avon?
Yes – Manchester is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,095 per month in Stratford upon Avon and $3,798 in Manchester. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Stratford upon Avon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Stratford upon Avon and in Manchester?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,064 in Stratford upon Avon and $2,532 in Manchester. That's a gap of about 23%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,340 per month in Stratford upon Avon and $1,252 in Manchester. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Stratford upon Avon or in Manchester?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Stratford upon Avon, where all-in costs run around $2,064, than in Manchester at $2,532. In Stratford upon Avon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manchester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Stratford upon Avon or Manchester more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Stratford upon Avon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Stratford upon Avon or Manchester?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Stratford upon Avon. 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.

Stratford upon Avon vs other spots: cost of living compared

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