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Manchester

Greater Manchester, United Kingdom

The largest economy outside London, with a substantial technology, media and higher education base at roughly half the housing cost.

Population
570,000
Climate
temperate
Typical download speed
140 Mbit/s

Indicative

One-bed, city centre
£1,050 – £1,500
One-bed, outside centre
£800 – £1,150
Monthly budget, one adult
£1,900 – £2,800

Getting around

Metrolink tram and bus; rail links across the north.

What people work in here

  • Technology
  • Media
  • Higher education
  • Healthcare

Cost of living

We do not hold a Manchester cost series, so this is the United Kingdom country-wide estimate. Use the rent figures above for the local picture.

Estimated monthly costs by category
CategoryMonthly range
Housing£900 – £1,800
Food£280 – £480
Utilities£150 – £280
Internet£25 – £45
Transport£70 – £220
Healthcare£0 – £120
Everything else£220 – £480
Total£1,645 – £3,425
Suggested monthly buffer£4,110
Estimate

Modelled from a baseline for one adult and scaled, not sampled from households. Figures are shown as ranges because that is the honest shape of the data.

Researched, not independently verifiedlow confidenceReviewed 20 September 2026

Worth knowing. Modelled estimate. Council tax is a substantial additional housing cost not included in the rent figure, and childcare in England is among the most expensive in the OECD.

Immigration

Immigration is decided nationally, not by city. Which routes are open to you, what they require and how long they take are all on the United Kingdom guide.

See the routes into United Kingdom

Researched, not independently verifiedlow confidenceReviewed 20 September 2026

Worth knowing. Modelled estimates, not survey data.

Reference dataset, compiled 20 September 2026. This is a compiled reference dataset. Every figure is drawn from official material and cited, but no record has been signed off by a named editor working through the review console, so nothing here is marked verified. Immigration rules change without notice and consulates apply them differently. Check the linked authority before you act on anything. This site is not legal advice.