Is the cost of living that much lower in Manchester than ldn?

[endingupinmanchester]

I might have to move to Manchester for work and i'm annoyed the salary is 4k lower

that being said, no place in the uk is more expensive than ldn

however, I went to a restaurant and spa in manchester and the price is the same as its London branch

The clothes in chain shops in Manc are also the same price

Those aren't the things that will he cheaper. Housing will be the big one.

Housing and transport costs are the things to be comparing, not clothes or spas!

Rent is lower but not as low as it was, most of the city is considered unaffordable (rent over 30% of gross average salary) Property is lower but it's not a cheap city. Bus prices have been capped this year finally but the metro link is pretty pricey still.
Is it actually Manchester you are looking at or another neighbouring borough like Stockport or Salford
What sort of salary are you looking at and what kind of home do you want?

As above, it’s about housing costs. Would you need to live in the city centre or could you live a bit out and commute in?

Yep. Not sharing with 25 people like London

I probs will live close to my workplace in the city centre

salary is 30k
i am looking for a studio flat or a one bedroom flat
i dont wanna share with strangers

Housing is cheaper outside London, but not that cheap. Transport is often more expensive outside of London.

We're close to Manchester City centre, this is an example of housing, I think much cheaper than London

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/136514810

YY to transport being cheaper in London. Council tax can also be less than many other places.

Housing will be a big part of the saving. Eating and drinking out might be cheaper but not always by a huge amount in major cities like Manchester.

Exactly. I suspect that OP could save and buy in Manchester unlike London.

Perhaps give a particular area of Manchester so posters can advise better.

Housing definitely much cheaper for renting. On that salary you'd be in a shared property or nothing in London.

Eating out/drinking will be a bit cheaper; I was truly shocked at the price on a pint when visiting London recently.

Manchester is a great city when you're young, just come! I've been here 20 years now 😂

Eating out and drinking depends where you go. You can still find cheap places. Traditional pubs and independent restaurants. But you can also pay as much as London.

Then you will spend a lot of your salary on rent and it might not be worth moving.

Mind you - Do you currently live near your work in the city centre? I suppose that could be a valid comparator of prices.

Going from £34k in London to £30k in Manchester is a smart move. No one would
move to London just to get an extra £4k because their standard of living would be greatly impacted.

There's a feature in yesterday's Times about a retired man moving to Manchester from Surrey. He says his council tax is half what it was, and his insurance a third. The tram costs two pounds and some of the buses are free.

Plus, obviously huge house price difference.

So you're comparing £34k in London vs £30k in Manchester?

£34k gives you £2100 take home pay a month. You don't want to house share and you won't find a studio for less than about a grand - and that's in an area you probably won't want to live in. Add in council tax and a travel card into town, and you're spending £1500 on just the basics without feeding yourself or any entertainment.

Do the same calculation for Manchester, see how it goes. That'll give you your answer 🤷🏼‍♀️

What is your current accommodation situation in London? On £34k I can't believe that you will be living in the city centre on your own in a one bed flat. Comparing like with like, you will definitely be better off in Manchester, but this is not an episode of Escape to the Country where you can expect to move into a two bed, detached cottage or anything! As a comparison, I have two sons, one living in Manchester, and one in London, and probably on pretty similar salaries to yours, the one in Manchester seems to have significantly more disposable income.

Rent in Manchester isn't that cheap if you want to live near the city centre.

@MorrisZapp someone old enough to be retired probably had totally free transport in London.
Buses everywhere are £2 at the moment through a government subsidy. As soon at that ends prices will rise to their normal level.

For the city centre you're looking at £800 roughly for a studio, plus bills. There's a lot of all included/built to rent developments gone up in the city lately which means there's more studios now than there used to be and they are fully furnished. Council tax will either band A or B so about £80 to £95 per month. Having lived in my own I can see why you want to but it is also no fun living alone when you are on a tight budget and don't have the money to go anywhere outside your four walls! Really work out your costings

I love Manchester as a city and it has a lot to offer it's a very fast growing city with the price increases to match.

Housing will be way cheaper...and that's your biggest outlay.

I am currently living with my parents

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/136481678

Cheaper than the city centre and there's a direct train into Victoria from Swinton.

I would honestly consider a shared house. If you live on your own you will need furniture, white goods. I'm guessing you don't have that currently living with parents. Buying a bed, sofa, pans, cutlery, TV is not cheap.

I know you said you don't want to do that but you'll be able to save a lot more money, you will have more disposable income, the people you live with might be nice and sociable.

You can probably save enough to buy a house in the not too distant future. Wouldn't be possible if you are renting alone, being realistic here