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Bristol vs Manchester cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฌ๐ง Bristol
๐ฌ๐ง Manchester
At a glance
- Where Manchester is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (36%โ), Street food (25%โ), Coffee (25%โ)
- Where Bristol is clearly cheaper: Hotel night (21%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Bristol 1 vs Manchester 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Bristol | Manchester | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ยฃ 16$21.6 | ยฃ 13$17.6 | Manchester โ19% |
| Street food1 item | ยฃ 8$10.8 | ยฃ 6$8.11 | Manchester โ25% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ยฃ 35$47.3 | ยฃ 32$43.2 | Manchester โ9% |
| Coffeeone cup | ยฃ 4$5.41 | ยฃ 3$4.05 | Manchester โ25% |
| Beerone bottle | ยฃ 6$8.11 | ยฃ 5$6.76 | Manchester โ17% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ยฃ 11$14.9 | ยฃ 11$14.9 | similar |
| Bottled water | ยฃ 1.2$1.62 | ยฃ 1.1$1.49 | Manchester โ8% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ยฃ 1.9$2.57 | ยฃ 1.8$2.43 | Manchester โ5% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ยฃ 10$13.5 | ยฃ 11$14.9 | Bristol โ9% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ยฃ 6.5$8.78 | ยฃ 6.5$8.78 | similar |
| Transitone ride | ยฃ 2.6$3.51 | ยฃ 2$2.7 | Manchester โ23% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ยฃ 20$27 | ยฃ 20$27 | similar |
| Hotel night3-star | ยฃ 110$149 | ยฃ 140$189 | Bristol โ21% |
| Studio rent (month) | ยฃ 1,230$1,662 | ยฃ 1,100$1,486 | Manchester โ11% |
| Laundry | ยฃ 2.1$2.84 | ยฃ 2$2.7 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | ยฃ 10$13.5 | ยฃ 9$12.2 | Manchester โ10% |
| Haircutcut | ยฃ 16$21.6 | ยฃ 17$23 | Bristol โ6% |
| Massage1 hour | ยฃ 50$67.6 | ยฃ 50$67.6 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | ยฃ 40$54.1 | ยฃ 42$56.8 | Bristol โ5% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ยฃ 22$29.7 | ยฃ 14$18.9 | Manchester โ36% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Bristol or Manchester?
Bristol and Manchester cost about the same. Daily budget $311 vs $339; a month $6,237 vs $5,521.
Which is easier to travel, Bristol or Manchester?
About the same: Bristol 1.4/5, Manchester 1.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Bristol and Manchester?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bristol is about $6,237 and Manchester about $5,521 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.