Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wakefield and Manchester

For one person, living is cheaper in Wakefield: $2,009 a month against $2,532 in Manchester, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Wakefield
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Wakefield Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index

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Wakefield

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,009

/mo nomad

Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,009 per month in Wakefield vs $2,532 in Manchester, rent included.

Wakefield $2,009
Manchester $2,532

A couple spends around $3,209 per month in Wakefield vs $3,686 in Manchester, rent included.

Wakefield $3,209
Manchester $3,686

A family of three spends $4,410 per month in Wakefield vs $4,839 in Manchester, rent included.

Wakefield $4,410
Manchester $4,839

Wakefield is about 21% cheaper than Manchester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Wakefield and Manchester sit above the global median – Wakefield by 48%, Manchester by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.71 £14.79

$20.23 £15.18

-2.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.2 £62.4

$87.1 £65.3

-4.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 £7.28

$10.83 £8.12

-10.43%

Cappuccino

$4.26 £3.19

$4.81 £3.61

-11.43%

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

$2.33 £1.75

$2.44 £1.83

-4.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 £1.02

$1.62 £1.21

-16.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 £4.45

$7.82 £5.87

-24.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 £4.03

$6.48 £4.86

-16.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 £1.07

$1.45 £1.09

-1.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 £1.41

$1.95 £1.47

-3.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 £1.97

$1.86 £1.40

41.40%

Eggs

$4.05 £3.04

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.62 £5.72

$9.76 £7.32

-21.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 £6.25

$9.11 £6.83

-8.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 £10.55

$15.52 £11.64

-9.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 £2.25

$3.20 £2.40

-6.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 £1.06

$1.52 £1.14

-6.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 £1.92

$3.02 £2.26

-15.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 £2.15

$3.34 £2.51

-14.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 £1.36

$1.55 £1.17

16.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 £1.21

$1.30 £0.98

23.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 £0.91

$1.22 £0.92

-0.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 £1.09

$1.28 £0.96

13.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.52 £16.90

$23.68 £17.77

-4.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.76 £8.07

$10.88 £8.16

-1.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.42 £2.56

$2.55 £1.91

34.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 £2.49

$3.15 £2.36

5.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.30 £2.47

$2.68 £2.01

23.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 £78.5

$105 £79.1

-0.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 £3.94

$4.42 £3.31

18.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 £1.07

$2.20 £1.65

-35.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.75 £11.81

$30.45 £22.85

-48.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 £1.54

$2.04 £1.53

0.49%

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

$38.1K £28.6K

$39.2K £29.4K

-2.69%

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

$40.8K £30.6K

$40.3K £30.2K

1.44%

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

$342 £256

$252 £189

35.78%

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

$15.54 £11.66

$16.62 £12.47

-6.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.64 £31.99

$40.61 £30.47

5.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.62 £25.97

$55.1 £41.32

-37.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.07 £20.31

$18.02 £13.52

50.22%

Cinema Ticket

$13.89 £10.42

$13.26 £9.95

4.75%

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

$1,217 £913

$1,252 £939

-2.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K £18.4K

$19.9K £14.9K

23.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 £66.0

$84.2 £63.2

4.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 £40.57

$42.72 £32.05

26.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 £67.9

$92.2 £69.2

-1.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 £68.0

$106 £79.8

-14.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$983 £737

$1,789 £1,342

-45.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 £516

$1,242 £932

-44.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 £1,614

$3,014 £2,261

-28.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 £1,184

$1,961 £1,471

-19.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,045 £3,034

$4,552 £3,415

-11.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,678 £2,009

$4,349 £3,262

-38.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,420 £1,816

$3,460 £2,596

-30.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

4.82

-1.04%

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

Last update for Wakefield: 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

Wakefield

$688 34.2%

Manchester

$1.2K 49.1% 80.7% $555

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wakefield

$400 19.9%

Manchester

$309 12.2% 22.8% $91

Eating Out

Wakefield

$293 14.6%

Manchester

$320 12.7% 9.3% $27

Groceries & Markets

Wakefield

$291 14.5%

Manchester

$301 11.9% 3.6% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Wakefield

$145 7.2%

Manchester

$146 5.8% 0.7% $1.1

Getting Around

Wakefield

$130 6.5%

Manchester

$132 5.2% 1% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Wakefield

$62 3.1%

Manchester

$82 3.2% 30.8% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $983 in Wakefield 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 43% 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 $83.0 in Wakefield versus $87.0 in Manchester. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $301 – making Wakefield the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Wakefield

🇬🇧 Manchester

🕒 Local time

11:50 11:50 AM

Same time as Wakefield

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,300

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

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Wakefield Manchester 54 km

From you

Wakefield
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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

Wakefield vs Manchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Manchester is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,014 per month in Wakefield 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 Wakefield, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,217 per month in Wakefield 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 4% 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 $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Wakefield, where all-in costs run around $2,009, than in Manchester at $2,532. In Wakefield it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manchester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Wakefield – 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 Wakefield. 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.