If you’re planning to move to Manchester, you probably have a few questions about living in the city, particularly the cost of living in Manchester and the best places to live in Manchester. Out of these two, the cost of living in Manchester is the easiest to assess. However, the real difficulty comes from knowing where to live in Manchester. Fortunately for you, we intend to cover both in this article, which will be no easy feat as there are so many wonderful places in Manchester each with unique attributes. So, put on your reading glasses, prescribed or not, and let’s get into it!
Cost of Living
While we said finding the cost of living was easy, it never hurts to have a little reminder. One area that you’ll find won’t change much when living in Manchester is the cost of groceries, unless you happen to be moving from London (which means groceries will be cheaper!) or from somewhere very rural (which means groceries will likely be more expensive). All in all, the cost of food is on par with most of the UK, just maybe a little more expensive, as is the way with city life.
If you were wondering about the cost of housing, you’ll be glad to know that the cost of a home in Manchester is lower than the UK average. The price in Manchester averages around £245,000, while the UK average is around £270,000 –score!
Of course, this might not mean much to you if salaries were also lower, how would life change if your salary also went down with the cost of housing? Fortunately, the average salary in Manchester is higher than the UK average, with the Manchester median, being £35,000, and the UK median being £31,500. So, you’ll have some extra cash to splash when living in Manchester.
Where to Live in Manchester
Before moving to Manchester, you’ll want to give some thought to where you’ll be living in Manchester! Different parts of Manchester will naturally appeal to different people, and luckily for you, the city has a lot to offer. Unfortunately, it’s nigh on impossibly to cover every part of the city, so we’ll focus on outlining our picks for the best areas to live in Manchester:
Sale
If you’re looking for a family-friendly place to live in Manchester, then Sale might be the option for you. Sale was originally a separate village but was incorporated into Greater Manchester and has the transport links to prove it, only three stops on Metrolink.
However, living in Sale will have a different feel than anywhere else in Manchester. It feels like living in a small community–it even has its high street! So, any run to the shops for essential items (and the less essentials too) can be done in your backyard.
Of course, as an almost safe little haven, Sale is a great place to raise a family, if you’re so inclined, and has some great schools (primary and secondary) in the area. All in all, a great place to have a happy and healthy family, while living in Manchester.
Naturally, for such a lovely area, the house prices are a little higher. On average, houses sell for around £345,000.
Northern Quarter
Do you prefer to live closer to the heart of a city? If you’re looking for somewhere to live in Manchester that sits on the beating heart of its music scene, the Northern Quarter may be the place for you.
The quarter is home to great venues with live music, so you might hear the next big thing before they’re big. If music isn’t necessarily your thing, don’t worry. The many vintage shops, independent stores, and other attractions will have living in Manchester feeling like a new experience every time with an endless supply of new things to discover.
As the Northern Quarter sits at the very centre of Manchester, you’ll be spoilt for choice with other sections of the city to explore, all accessible by Metrolink, the nearby stations of Victoria and Piccadilly that will allow taking easy day trips to cities like Leeds and Liverpool if the mood strikes.
With all this convenience of excitement and travel at your fingertips, you might be wondering how much housing costs, and you will be surprised. On average, houses sell for £255,000 in this central section of the city –a steal if you ask us!
Rusholme
If you don’t mind living in the midst of the university student population, the idea of a 30-minute commute to the city centre, and low housing costs, then Rusholme might be the place for you.
Located just outside the city centre and near two of Manchester’s universities – University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University, you can expect a lot of excitement from your neighbours, if you like that sort of thing.
It would be wrong of us not to mention that the area is close to, in our opinion, the best park in Manchester, Whitworth Park.
As for the cost of housing in the area, the average price for a house is around £170,000, which is very reasonable and a great option for those looking for a more affordable family home.
Salford
Sitting across the Irwell River from Manchester city centre, Salford is a great option for those moving to the city with hopes of working in the media industry. Salford plays home to MediaCityUK, which has offices of the BBC and ITV Granada.
Of course, there’s more to Salford than MediaCityUK. The city t also has some beautiful waterfront properties overlooking the Irwell River and the Manchester city centre is only a 15-minute ride on Metrolink.
Furthermore, the house costs in the area are generally amongst the lowest in the city, sitting at £215,000 on average, which is honestly a steal. This makes the area great for first time home buyers. Fantastic job opportunities, great transport connections, and low house prices, what more could you want?
Didsbury
Do you like the feel of a small village with the perks of a city? Didsbury hits a perfect balance between the two. This incorporated village still retains its charm with friendly locals, a thriving and trendy high street, along with plenty of parks that will have you out taking walks in the morning.
Furthermore, the area is well connected to the city centre via tram, train, and bus, which leave you plenty of options for getting around. Additionally, it sits on the tram line connected to the airport, so catching a bit of holiday sun has never been easier.
The location of Didsbury makes it easy to have days out in nature as the nearby access to the motorway makes it easy to be basking in the gorgeous scenery of the lake district in less than half an hour.
And if we haven’t mentioned the great schools, you must forgive us as there’s already so much to say about this charming suburb. The quality of the schools makes it a great place to raise kids, along with all the parks.
The only drawback to Didsbury is that housing can be a little bit on the more expensive side as the area has so much to offer. On average, houses in the area sell for £395,000 but it’s certainly worth it!
Ready to Start Living in Manchester?
Living in Manchester will not only be a great change of pace, but it’ll also mean an improvement in the quality of life. If none of the areas we mentioned above strikes a chord with you, remember there are still many other great places to live in Manchester, such as Deansgate, Altrincham, Prestwich, Ancoats, and more! With a little bit of further research, you’ll find the right place for you, just don’t miss out on living in Manchester.