North West, England

Cost of living in Manchester

Data last updated: 12 May 2026

£975/mo
Average rent
£30,067/yr
Average earnings
£231,000
Average house price
£2,312/yr
Council tax (Band D)
£189/mo
Est. energy & water

Rent in Manchester

The average monthly rent in Manchester is £975.

  • 1 Bed
    £850 /mo
  • 2 Bed
    £1,000 /mo
  • 3 Bed
    £1,200 /mo
  • 4+ Bed
    £1,800 /mo

The cheapest 25% of rents start from £825/month.

Source: ONS Private Rental Market Statistics

Earnings in Manchester

The average annual salary for residents of Manchester is £30,067.

Median
£30,067
per year
Mean
£35,180
per year

We use the median (middle value) as the average throughout this site. This is more representative than the mean, which can be skewed by extremely high or low values.

Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE)

House prices in Manchester

The average house price in Manchester is £231,000.

  • Detached
    £360,000
  • Semi-detached
    £275,000
  • Terraced
    £217,750
  • Flat
    £203,000

Source: ONS / HM Land Registry

Council tax in Manchester

Band D council tax in Manchester is £2,312 per year.

  • Band A
    £1,541
  • Band B
    £1,798
  • Band C
    £2,055
  • Band D
    Benchmark
    £2,312
  • Band E
    £2,826
  • Band F
    £3,340
  • Band G
    £3,853
  • Band H
    £4,624

Source: MHCLG / Scottish Government / Welsh Government

Energy costs in Manchester

A typical household in Manchester pays approximately £1,641/year (£137/month) for gas and electricity.

Annual
£1,641
per year
Monthly
£137
per month

Energy region: North West

This estimate is based on the Ofgem price cap for a typical dual-fuel household using 2,700 kWh of electricity and 11,500 kWh of gas per year, paying by Direct Debit. Your actual costs will depend on your usage, tariff, and whether you're on a fixed deal.

Source: Ofgem Energy Price Cap, Q2 2026

Water costs in Manchester

The average annual water and sewerage bill for United Utilities customers is £627/year (£52/month).

Annual
£627
per year
Monthly
£52
per month

Water company: United Utilities

Water bills vary based on whether you have a meter and your household's water usage. This figure is the company average for unmetered customers.

Source: Water UK / Discover Water, 2026-27

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Data on this page is sourced from: ONS Private Rental Market Statistics, ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, ONS / HM Land Registry House Price Statistics, MHCLG / Scottish Government / Welsh Government council tax data, Ofgem Energy Price Cap, and Water UK / Discover Water. All official data is published under the Open Government Licence.