Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Telford and Manchester

For one person, living is cheaper in Telford: $2,057 a month against $2,532 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Manchester outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

100

Cost of Living Index in Telford
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Telford Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index

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Telford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,057

/mo nomad

Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,057 per month in Telford vs $2,532 in Manchester, rent included.

Telford $2,057
Manchester $2,532

A couple spends around $2,957 per month in Telford vs $3,686 in Manchester, rent included.

Telford $2,957
Manchester $3,686

A family of three spends $3,857 per month in Telford vs $4,839 in Manchester, rent included.

Telford $3,857
Manchester $4,839

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

Both Telford and Manchester sit above the global median – Telford by 52%, Manchester by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.11 £15.09

$20.23 £15.18

-0.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.8 £55.4

$87.1 £65.3

-15.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.75 £7.32

$10.83 £8.12

-9.97%

Cappuccino

$4.21 £3.16

$4.81 £3.61

-12.47%

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

$2.70 £2.03

$2.44 £1.83

10.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 £0.80

$1.62 £1.21

-33.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 £4.48

$7.82 £5.87

-23.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 £4.98

$6.48 £4.86

2.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 £1.20

$1.45 £1.09

10.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 £0.77

$1.95 £1.47

-47.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 £1.00

$1.86 £1.40

-28.49%

Eggs

$3.28 £2.46

$4.05 £3.04

-19.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.28 £5.46

$9.76 £7.32

-25.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.30 £6.98

$9.11 £6.83

2.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.77 £8.83

$15.52 £11.64

-24.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 £1.82

$3.20 £2.40

-24.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 £1.36

$1.52 £1.14

19.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 £1.88

$3.02 £2.26

-17.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 £2.05

$3.34 £2.51

-18.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 £1.40

$1.55 £1.17

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 £1.52

$1.30 £0.98

56.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 £0.72

$1.22 £0.92

-20.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 £1.01

$1.28 £0.96

5.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.87 £14.91

$23.68 £17.77

-16.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.14 £7.60

$10.88 £8.16

-6.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.71 £4.29

$2.55 £1.91

123.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 £4.00

$3.15 £2.36

69.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.08 £3.06

$2.68 £2.01

52.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 £114

$105 £79.1

43.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.99 £5.24

$4.42 £3.31

58.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.97 £2.98

$2.20 £1.65

80.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 £22.85

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.39

$2.04 £1.53

-8.82%

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

$40.1K £30.1K

$39.2K £29.4K

2.46%

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

$44.3K £33.3K

$40.3K £30.2K

10.11%

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

$280 £210

$252 £189

11.23%

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

$21.76 £16.33

$16.62 £12.47

30.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.29 £26.48

$40.61 £30.47

-13.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.31 £35.49

$55.1 £41.32

-14.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.02 £13.52

Cinema Ticket

$17.21 £12.91

$13.26 £9.95

29.79%

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

$1,570 £1,178

$1,252 £939

25.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K £17.6K

$19.9K £14.9K

18.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 £39.84

$84.2 £63.2

-36.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.38 £19.04

$42.72 £32.05

-40.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 £74.5

$92.2 £69.2

7.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 £101

$106 £79.8

26.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 £634

$1,789 £1,342

-52.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 £540

$1,242 £932

-42.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 £932

$3,014 £2,261

-58.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 £758

$1,961 £1,471

-48.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,015 £3,012

$4,552 £3,415

-11.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,592 £6,446

$4,349 £3,262

97.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,283 £2,463

$3,460 £2,596

-5.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.3

4.82

9.96%

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

Last update for Telford: 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

Telford

$720 35%

Manchester

$1.2K 49.1% 72.5% $522

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Telford

$337 16.4%

Manchester

$309 12.2% 8.3% $28

Eating Out

Telford

$299 14.5%

Manchester

$320 12.7% 7.1% $21

Groceries & Markets

Telford

$284 13.8%

Manchester

$301 11.9% 6% $17

Getting Around

Telford

$195 9.5%

Manchester

$132 5.2% 32.5% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Telford

$141 6.8%

Manchester

$146 5.8% 4.2% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Telford

$82 4%

Manchester

$82 3.2% 0.2% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $845 in Telford 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 5% 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 $74.0 in Telford versus $87.0 in Manchester. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $284 vs $301 – making Telford the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Telford

🇬🇧 Manchester

🕒 Local time

20:32 8:32 PM

Same time as Telford

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

180,000

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

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Telford Manchester 90 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

Telford vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manchester is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,086 per month in Telford and $3,798 in Manchester. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Telford, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,570 per month in Telford and $1,252 in Manchester. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% 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 $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Telford, where all-in costs run around $2,057, than in Manchester at $2,532. In Telford it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manchester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Telford – 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 Telford. 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.