✦ Compare

London vs
Manchester

Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.

London, UK vs Manchester, UK at a glance — Manchester, UK is 20% cheaper than London, UK overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $1,100/mo versus $2,600/mo. The top national income-tax rate is 45%.

Your salary in London, UK

$/ year

To keep the same standard of living in Manchester, UK, you'd need

$59,700 / year

Manchester, UK is 20% cheaper overall

Category breakdown (Manchester, UK vs London, UK)

Housing-34%
Food & groceries-7%
Transport-29%
Utilities-6%
Healthcare-3%
Goods & services-10%

Median 1-bed rent

$2,600 /mo

London, UK overview →

Median 1-bed rent

$1,100 /mo

Manchester, UK overview →

◎ How London, UK and Manchester, UK compare

London, UKManchester, UK

Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.

▤ Full comparison

	London, UK	Manchester, UK
Cost of living
Overall cost index	138	109
Housing	178	118
Food	118	110
Transport	130	92
Utilities	130	122
Healthcare	88	85
Goods & services	122	110
Housing
Rent, 1-bed centre	$2,600/mo	$1,100/mo
Rent, 1-bed outside	$1,850/mo	$820/mo
Rent, 3-bed centre	$5,200/mo	$2,100/mo
Buy price / m² centre	$16,000	$4,500
Money & purchasing power
$1,000 goes as far as	$727	$914
Inexpensive meal	$20	$18
Monthly transit pass	$200	$85
Taxes
Income tax (top rate)	45%	45%
VAT / sales tax	20%	20%
Social security (employee)	8%	8%
Corporate tax	25%	25%
Capital gains	24%	24%
Economy & salaries
Avg net salary	$2,900/mo	$2,900/mo
Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP)	$66,299^✓	$66,299^✓
Minimum wage	$2,050/mo	$2,050/mo
GDP per capita	$57,602^✓	$57,602^✓
Inflation (annual)	3.9%^✓	3.9%^✓
Work & digital nomad
Digital-nomad visa	No	No
English proficiency	Native	Native
Coworking spaces	250	40
Time zone	UTC+0	UTC+0
Quality of life
Quality of life (overall)	68	68
Safety index	55	55
Healthcare index	74	80
Pollution index	60	42
Internet speed	90 Mbps	140 Mbps
Walkability	88	80
Public transport	92	72
Family-friendly	62	68
Tap water	Safe to drink	Safe to drink
Life expectancy	81 yr^✓	81 yr^✓
LGBTQ+ acceptance	High	High
Climate
January avg	+5 °C	+4 °C
July avg	+19 °C	+16 °C
Sunny days / year	106	100
Rainfall / year	690 mm	870 mm
Connectivity
Flight to nearest hub	1 h	1 h

Taxes & Economy & salaries: United Kingdom vs United Kingdom. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.

✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →

Cost of living: London vs Manchester — in your currency

Currency

LondonManchester

1-bed rent, city centre$2,600$1,100

1-bed rent, outside centre$1,850$820

Inexpensive meal$20$18

Monthly transit pass$200$85

Utilities (monthly)$260$220

Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).

Good to know before you move to London

Europe's financial capital — unmatched jobs, culture and connections, paid for with some of the highest rents on the continent.

Currency: Pound sterling (£ GBP)
Languages: English
Time zone: UTC+0
Internet: 90 Mbps
English: Native language
Safety: 55/100
Climate: ❄ 5°C · ☀ 19°C · 106 sunny days/yr
Tap water: Safe to drink
Power: G · 230V
Driving: Left-hand side
Popular areas: Shoreditch · Camden · Clapham

Good to know before you move to Manchester

The capital of the UK's north — a music-and-football city reinventing itself as a fast-growing media and tech hub. Rents run roughly half of London's, the crowd is young and the nightlife serious; the trade-off is the famously grey, wet weather.

Currency: Pound sterling (£ GBP)
Languages: English
Time zone: UTC+0
Internet: 140 Mbps
English: Native language
Safety: 55/100
Climate: ❄ 4°C · ☀ 16°C · 100 sunny days/yr
Tap water: Safe to drink
Power: G · 230V
Driving: Left-hand side
Popular areas: Northern Quarter · Ancoats · Didsbury · Chorlton

Plan your move to London

Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.

Plan your move to Manchester

Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.

? Frequently asked questions

Moving from London to Manchester: cheaper or more expensive?

Moving from London to Manchester, your cost of living will be roughly 20% cheaper. Manchester’s cost-of-living index is 109 versus 138 for London (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.

Is London cheaper than Manchester?

Manchester is about 20% cheaper than London overall — its cost-of-living index is 109 versus 138 for London.

Which is more expensive, London or Manchester?

London is more expensive than Manchester. Its cost-of-living index is 138 vs 109 (US = 100) — about 27% higher.

Is rent cheaper in London or Manchester?

Rent is cheaper in Manchester — about $1,100/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $2,600 in London.

How much do you need to earn in Manchester to live like in London?

To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in London is worth about $59,700 in Manchester. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.

Which has lower taxes, London or Manchester?

Both cities are in the same country, so national income tax (45%) and VAT are identical; only local cost of living differs.

◷ More comparisons from London

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How we calculate these figures →

Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.