Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Swansea and Manchester

For one person, living is cheaper in Swansea: $2,196 a month against $2,499 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Swansea
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Swansea Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index

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Swansea

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,196

/mo nomad

Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,196 per month in Swansea vs $2,499 in Manchester, rent included.

Swansea $2,196
Manchester $2,499

A couple spends around $3,130 per month in Swansea vs $3,623 in Manchester, rent included.

Swansea $3,130
Manchester $3,623

A family of three spends $4,065 per month in Swansea vs $4,747 in Manchester, rent included.

Swansea $4,065
Manchester $4,747

Swansea is about 12% cheaper than Manchester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Swansea and Manchester sit above the global median – Swansea by 61%, Manchester by 84%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.41 £15.24

$20.22 £15.10

0.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.1 £47.08

$86.0 £64.2

-26.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 £7.82

$10.74 £8.02

-2.51%

Cappuccino

$4.76 £3.56

$4.68 £3.49

1.71%

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

$2.36 £1.76

$2.44 £1.82

-3.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 £0.94

$1.62 £1.21

-22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 £4.40

$7.78 £5.81

-24.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.38 £4.77

$6.70 £5.00

-4.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 £1.00

$1.51 £1.12

-11.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 £1.53

$1.88 £1.41

9.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 £1.54

$1.94 £1.45

6.19%

Eggs

$3.52 £2.62

$4.08 £3.04

-13.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.78 £5.81

$9.61 £7.17

-19.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.33 £6.22

$8.98 £6.71

-7.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.87 £9.61

$15.41 £11.51

-16.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 £1.73

$3.09 £2.31

-24.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 £0.93

$1.58 £1.18

-21.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 £2.14

$2.95 £2.20

-2.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 £2.67

$3.35 £2.50

6.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 £1.68

$1.51 £1.13

49.01%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 £2.28

$1.35 £1.01

125.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 £0.95

$1.26 £0.94

0.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 £1.71

$1.23 £0.92

86.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.23 £17.34

$24.05 £17.95

-3.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 £7.93

$10.88 £8.13

-2.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 £1.74

$2.43 £1.81

-4.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 £2.54

$3.17 £2.36

7.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.12 £3.08

$2.73 £2.04

50.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.1 £72.5

$108 £80.6

-10.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 £2.95

$4.52 £3.37

-12.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 £2.00

$2.22 £1.66

20.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.33 £24.88

$30.82 £23.01

8.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.46

$2.14 £1.60

-8.88%

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

$38.9K £29.1K

$38.5K £28.7K

1.16%

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

$40.5K £30.2K

$40.0K £29.9K

1.05%

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

$306 £229

$252 £189

21.40%

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

$14.81 £11.06

$16.23 £12.12

-8.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.20 £32.26

$39.58 £29.56

9.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.28 £24.85

$42.67 £31.86

-22.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.52 £11.59

$18.05 £13.48

-14.02%

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 £7.36

$13.44 £10.04

-26.71%

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

$1,777 £1,327

$1,494 £1,116

18.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K £14.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 £66.9

$83.5 £62.4

7.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.22 £36.01

$42.97 £32.09

12.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 £91.3

$95.0 £70.9

28.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.6 £61.6

$106 £79.1

-22.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 £830

$1,785 £1,333

-37.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$891 £665

$1,222 £913

-27.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,500 £1,120

$2,930 £2,188

-48.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 £999

$1,899 £1,418

-29.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,563 £2,660

$4,668 £3,486

-23.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,615 £1,952

$4,397 £3,283

-40.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,263 £2,436

$3,395 £2,535

-3.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.04

4.82

25.31%

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

Last update for Swansea: October 27, 2026

Last update for Manchester: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Swansea

$891 40.6%

Manchester

$1.2K 48.9% 37.2% $331

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Swansea

$364 16.6%

Manchester

$308 12.3% 15.4% $56

Eating Out

Swansea

$309 14.1%

Manchester

$319 12.8% 3.3% $10

Groceries & Markets

Swansea

$293 13.4%

Manchester

$299 12% 1.8% $5.3

Clothing & Footwear

Swansea

$154 7%

Manchester

$147 5.9% 4.4% $6.8

Getting Around

Swansea

$131 6%

Manchester

$134 5.4% 2.7% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Swansea

$53 2.4%

Manchester

$70 2.8% 31.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,112 in Swansea 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.

Salaries run about 4% 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 $63 in Swansea versus $86 in Manchester. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $299 – making Swansea the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Swansea

🇬🇧 Manchester

🕒 Local time

14:49 2:49 PM

Same time as Swansea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

239,000

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

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Between locations

Swansea Manchester 240 km

From you

Swansea
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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

Swansea vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manchester is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,293 per month in Swansea 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 Swansea, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,112 there versus $1,785 in Manchester.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,196 in Swansea and $2,499 in Manchester. That makes Swansea about 12% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,777 per month in Swansea and $1,494 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 $2,196 in Swansea and $2,499 in Manchester. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Swansea costs $2,196 versus $2,499 in Manchester. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Swansea. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manchester makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.