Living in Manchester: cost of living, rent and salary
Updated 3 October 2026
In Manchester, a one-bedroom home costs about £1,000 (≈ €1,170) a month. To keep the lifestyle of someone living in Paris, you need about £2,130 (≈ €2,490) net a month. Here is the rent by type of home, the month’s budget line by line, and the sources.
Work out my budget in Manchester
Example: the same life, elsewhere
A single person living in Paris in a one-bedroom home, with the average spending of a similar household, spends about €2,620 a month. To keep the same life in Manchester, they would need about £2,130 (≈ €2,490) net a month locally (−5%), i.e. 1.2 times the National Living Wage.
For a couple with two children in a two-bedroom home (state school), it would take about £3,730 (≈ €4,360) net a month in Manchester, i.e. 2.1 times the National Living Wage.
Calculated on 3 October 2026 with the official averages of Paris and the destination’s prices. Yours depends on your city, home and habits: the calculator works it out in a few minutes, no sign-up.
Rent in Manchester
A one-bedroom home in Manchester costs about 19% more than the median of the 13 other cities tracked in the country.
| Type of home | Outside sought-after areas | Outside sought-after areas, in euros |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | £1,000 | €1,170 |
| 1 bedroom | £1,000 | €1,170 |
| 2 bedrooms | £1,230 | €1,440 |
| 3-bedroom house | £1,430 | €1,680 |
Monthly rent in GBP, outside the most sought-after areas. Studio 28 m², 1 bedroom 45 m², 2 bedrooms 65 m², house 95 m² where rent is known per m². ONS — Price Index of Private Rents: average monthly rent by area and number of bedrooms (August 2026).
A month’s budget in Manchester, line by line
For a single person renting a one-bedroom home and keeping the average habits of a household in Paris, here is what each line would cost in Manchester.
| Item | Paris | Manchester | Manchester (GBP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | €1,590 | €1,170 | £1,000 |
| Housing tax | €0 | €130 | £110 |
| Electricity, water, gas | €230 | €270 | £230 |
| Groceries | €270 | €260 | £220 |
| Restaurants and outings | €150 | €140 | £120 |
| Transport | €100 | €150 | £130 |
| Health | €70 | €100 | £90 |
| Phone and internet | €50 | €60 | £50 |
| Sport | €30 | €40 | £30 |
| Clothes | €80 | €80 | £60 |
| Hairdresser and beauty | €50 | €70 | £60 |
| Trips back to Paris | €0 | €30 | £20 |
| Total per month | €2,620 | €2,490 | £2,130 |
Estimate: lines without an answer take the official average of the departure city, then the destination’s prices. The calculator starts from your real amounts.
Visa, healthcare, school, electricity
These rules are the same across the country: find them on the page Living in the United Kingdom.
Frequently asked questions
What salary do you need to live in Manchester?
For a single person keeping the same life as in Paris: about £2,130 (≈ €2,490) net a month, i.e. 1.2 times the National Living Wage.
How much is rent in Manchester?
About £1,000 (≈ €1,170) a month for a one-bedroom home and £1,230 for a two-bedroom home, according to ONS — Price Index of Private Rents.
Is it expensive to live in Manchester?
In Paris, a single person spends about €2,620 a month; with the same life in Manchester, it would be about €2,490 (−5%).
Work out my budget in Manchester