Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Swindon and Manchester

For one person, living is cheaper in Manchester: $2,499 a month against $2,768 in Swindon, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in Swindon
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Swindon Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index

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Swindon

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,768

/mo nomad

Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,768 per month in Swindon vs $2,499 in Manchester, rent included.

Swindon $2,768
Manchester $2,499

A couple spends around $3,814 per month in Swindon vs $3,623 in Manchester, rent included.

Swindon $3,814
Manchester $3,623

A family of three spends $4,861 per month in Swindon vs $4,747 in Manchester, rent included.

Swindon $4,861
Manchester $4,747

Swindon costs about 11% more than Manchester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Swindon and Manchester sit above the global median – Swindon by 103%, Manchester by 84%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.27 £15.13

$20.22 £15.10

0.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.0 £47.05

$86.0 £64.2

-26.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 £8.01

$10.74 £8.02

-0.19%

Cappuccino

$4.79 £3.58

$4.68 £3.49

2.35%

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

$3.12 £2.33

$2.44 £1.82

27.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 £1.20

$1.62 £1.21

-1.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.72 £4.27

$7.78 £5.81

-26.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 £3.45

$6.70 £5.00

-31.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 £1.25

$1.51 £1.12

10.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.88 £1.41

4.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.94 £1.45

-3.61%

Eggs

$4.49 £3.35

$4.08 £3.04

10.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.48 £7.08

$9.61 £7.17

-1.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 £6.85

$8.98 £6.71

2.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.45 £10.79

$15.41 £11.51

-6.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 £2.32

$3.09 £2.31

0.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 £1.84

$1.58 £1.18

56.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 £3.04

$2.95 £2.20

38.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 £3.16

$3.35 £2.50

26.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 £1.51

$1.51 £1.13

33.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 £1.30

$1.35 £1.01

28.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.26 £0.94

56.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.23 £0.92

39.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.34 £17.43

$24.05 £17.95

-2.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 £11.40

$10.88 £8.13

40.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.86 £2.88

$2.43 £1.81

58.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 £2.85

$3.17 £2.36

20.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.09 £3.06

$2.73 £2.04

49.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.9 £73.9

$108 £80.6

-8.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 £5.07

$4.52 £3.37

50.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 £1.26

$2.22 £1.66

-23.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.54 £16.08

$30.82 £23.01

-30.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 £1.51

$2.14 £1.60

-5.14%

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

$39.0K £29.1K

$38.5K £28.7K

1.47%

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

$40.8K £30.5K

$40.0K £29.9K

1.91%

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

$636 £475

$252 £189

151.89%

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

$16.23 £12.12

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.50 £33.23

$39.58 £29.56

12.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.18 £25.52

$42.67 £31.86

-19.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.11 £17.25

$18.05 £13.48

28.03%

Cinema Ticket

$17.61 £13.15

$13.44 £10.04

31.03%

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

$1,966 £1,468

$1,494 £1,116

31.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,376 £4,014

$19.7K £14.7K

-72.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.0 £66.5

$83.5 £62.4

6.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.92 £32.79

$42.97 £32.09

2.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.8 £61.1

$95.0 £70.9

-13.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.5 £63.9

$106 £79.1

-19.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 £942

$1,785 £1,333

-29.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,085 £810

$1,222 £913

-11.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 £1,514

$2,930 £2,188

-30.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,698 £1,268

$1,899 £1,418

-10.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,289 £3,949

$4,668 £3,486

13.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,741 £2,794

$4,397 £3,283

-14.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,969 £2,217

$3,395 £2,535

-12.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.59

4.82

15.98%

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

Last update for Swindon: October 26, 2026

Last update for Manchester: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Swindon

$1.1K 39.2%

Manchester

$1.2K 48.9% 12.6% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Swindon

$697 25.2%

Manchester

$308 12.3% 55.7% $388

Groceries & Markets

Swindon

$343 12.4%

Manchester

$299 12% 12.9% $44

Eating Out

Swindon

$309 11.2%

Manchester

$319 12.8% 3.3% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Swindon

$135 4.9%

Manchester

$147 5.9% 9.1% $12

Getting Around

Swindon

$131 4.7%

Manchester

$134 5.4% 3% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Swindon

$69 2.5%

Manchester

$70 2.8% 0.2% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,262 in Swindon 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 14% higher in Manchester, 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 $63 in Swindon versus $86 in Manchester. Groceries tell a different story – $343 in Swindon vs $299 in Manchester – so Manchester wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Swindon

🇬🇧 Manchester

🕒 Local time

13:52 1:52 PM

Same time as Swindon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

183,638

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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Swindon Manchester 220 km

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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

Swindon vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Swindon is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,152 per month in Swindon 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 Swindon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,262 there versus $1,785 in Manchester.

Kindergarten costs $1,966 per month in Swindon 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 15% more in Swindon, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Manchester has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,499 in Manchester to $2,768 in Swindon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.