Living in Manchester

In Manchester, the median gross salary is €3,555 a month (2025) and tenants pay an average rent of €1,604 a month (2026).

Manchester's population was 470,405 at the end of 2021. At the end of 2024, the regional median gross salary stood at €3,430 per month. Manchester's unemployment stood at 4.86% at the end of 2018.

Last checked 2026-09-2331 sources

Population470,405people31 Dec 2021Official source · Office for National Statistics

Median gross salary3,555EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary

Average rent1,604EUR/month31 Aug 2026Official source · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority

Unemployment rate4.86%country median 3.4% — 43% aboveOfficial source · Eurostat

Recorded crime14,267offences per 100,000country median 9,646 — 48% aboveOfficial source · Office for National Statistics

PM2.5, annual mean12µg/m³31 Dec 2019Nearest stationOfficial source · European Environment Agency

Higher unemployment than 81% of United Kingdom cities that publish it, more recorded crime than 93% of United Kingdom cities that publish it and dirtier air than any other United Kingdom city that publishes it.

Which United Kingdom-wide rules apply when you move to Manchester?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United KingdomNational rates and thresholds that apply in Manchester.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent figure is published for Manchester. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month4 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Utilities, 85 m² flat€259

Transport pass€93

Internet, 60 Mbps€34

Mobile plan, 10 GB€14

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	34.31 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/uk/manchester/³¹Community estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	14.18 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/uk/manchester/³¹Community estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass	92.62 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/uk/manchester/³¹Community estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	258.7 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/uk/manchester/³¹Community estimate · Supplemental context
Rent price index, mean	1,604 EUR/month	31 Aug 2026	Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics, 16 September 2026 edition²⁰Official
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)	1,604 EUR/month	31 Aug 2026	ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority¹⁶Official

Is Manchester a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker27%strong on work, weak on safety · range 18–36%

Skilled employee39%strong on work, weak on safety · range 31–47%

Student34%strong on education, weak on safety · range 27–41%

Family46%strong on family, weak on cost · range 38–54%

Retirement29%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 18–40%

Work and income

Manchester's employment rate reached 53.1% at the end of 2021. The workforce in Manchester was 199,220 at the end of 2021.

What is the typical salary in Manchester?

The median gross salary is about 3,555 EUR/month (2025). The regional series (home-region basis, 2024) is a separate labelled row in the table.

City-scope median, gross, before tax and social contributions.

Median gross salary: 3,555 EUR/month · ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary¹⁵
Median gross salary (regional): 3,430 EUR/month · 2026-08-06 · Office for National Statistics (ONS)¹³

What is the unemployment rate in Manchester?

The unemployment rate is about 4.9 % (2018).

Unemployment rate: 4.86 % · Eurostat⁵

Unemployment across cities in United KingdomUnemployment in Manchester is 4.9%. Of 999 cities with data, 652 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

652

263

0–22–44–66–88–1010–1216–18

Manchester 4.9%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Public employment offices	3 count	15 Sept 2026	Manchester City Council — Jobcentre Plus directory⁶Official
Employment rate	53.1 %	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics¹⁰Official
Median gross salary	3,555 EUR/month	31 Dec 2025	ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary¹⁵Official
Median gross salary (regional)	3,430 EUR/month	31 Dec 2024	Office for National Statistics (ONS)¹³Official · regional context
Average net monthly salary	2,926 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/uk/manchester/³¹Community estimate · Supplemental context
Unemployment rate	4.86 %country median 3.4%	31 Dec 2018	Eurostat⁵Official

Unemployment rate over time11 published observations, 1991–2018

3.7%

9.2%

14.6%

20.1%

4.9%199120012008201120162018

Unemployment rate fell 74.3% between 1991 and 2018, from 18.9% to 4.9%.

What does a salary buy in Manchester?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€902of €2,906 take-home

Rent
Utilities
Transport
Internet
Mobile
Left over

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.	€2,906
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority · 2026-08-31	− €1,604
Public transport pass€93 · market price · Numbeo city cost-of-living page · 2026-09-30	− €93
Utilities, 85 m²€259 · market price · Numbeo city cost-of-living page · 2026-09-30	− €259
Internet€34 · market price · Numbeo city cost-of-living page · 2026-09-30	− €34
Mobile plan€14 · market price · Numbeo city cost-of-living page · 2026-09-30	− €14
Left over	€902

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Manchester Salary needed to live in Manchester

Public employment offices in Manchester

Manchester City Council lists 3 public employment offices in Manchester (checked 2026-09-16). Use the official office finder for addresses and appointments; registration and job search are also available online through the national service below.

Office count verified

Jobcentre Plus — Public employment service

Department for Work and Pensions

Job SearchUnemployment Claim

Open official service

Open the United Kingdom service overview

The office count comes from the service's own directory. Individual addresses and opening hours are not listed here yet. Sources checked through 16 Sept 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Public language course providers	1 count	30 Sept 2026	English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) - Manchester Adult Education³Official
Primary schools	285 count	3 Aug 2026	Department for Education (GIAS)²Official
Schools	414 count	3 Aug 2026	Department for Education (GIAS)²Official

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 5 to 16, and public school is free.

A country-wide rule for United Kingdom; Manchester's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: legislation.gov.uk · 1996–2026.

Healthcare

Metric	Value	Period	Source
GP practices	266 count	30 Sept 2026	ODS GP Practices report (epraccur)⁸Official
Pharmacies	233 count	30 Sept 2026	ODS Pharmacy/Dispensaries report (edispensary)⁹Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Manchester under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

How safe is Manchester?

Police recorded about 14,267 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.

Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 14,267 offences per 100,000 · Office for National Statistics¹²

Recorded crime across major citiesManchester highlighted among comparable cities

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Manchester14,267

Bristol13,099

Liverpool12,409

Leeds11,462

Birmingham11,416

Leicester11,001

Sheffield9,693

Cardiff9,379

Belfast9,156

Coventry8,836

Glasgow757

Edinburgh549

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Burglaries per 100,000 residents	495.3 incidents per 100,000	31 Dec 2026	PFA tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C2 counts; Table C4 rates and mid-2024 population)¹⁹Official
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	14,267 offences per 100,000country median 9,646	31 Dec 2024	Office for National Statistics¹²Official
Violent crime per 100,000 residents	5,190 incidents per 100,000	31 Dec 2026	PFA tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C2 counts; Table C4 rates and mid-2024 population)¹⁹Official

Mobility and administration

Manchester's nearest airport was MAN, 15 km away and offered 146 direct destinations.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport	146 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights¹⁷Official
Distance to the nearest major airport	15 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁸Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)	MAN	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁸Official

Climate and air quality

Annual PM2.5 in the air was 12 µg/m³ at the end of 2019.

Is the air quality good in Manchester?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 12 µg/m³ (2019) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency⁴

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.512WHO 5 · EU 25

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United KingdomOf 941 cities with data, 487 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.

211

487

200

3–44–55–66–77–88–99–1013–14

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	12 µg/m³	31 Dec 2019	European Environment Agency⁴Official · nearest-station reading
Monthly extreme high temperature	Jan 12.49 · Feb 15.1 · Mar 17.52 · Apr 21.51 · May 24.09 · Jun 25.84 · Jul 28.02 · Aug 27.51 · Sep 23.9 · Oct 23.32 · Nov 16.88 · Dec 13.03 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁷Official · coordinate grid
Monthly extreme low temperature	Jan -6.3 · Feb -6.55 · Mar -5.59 · Apr -3.22 · May -1.05 · Jun 3.36 · Jul 6.83 · Aug 5.41 · Sep 3.11 · Oct -1.31 · Nov -3.55 · Dec -7.57 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁷Official · coordinate grid
Average temperature by month	Jan 3.62 · Feb 3.63 · Mar 5.1 · Apr 7.72 · May 10.85 · Jun 13.84 · Jul 15.43 · Aug 15.14 · Sep 13 · Oct 9.94 · Nov 6.53 · Dec 4.29 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁷Official · coordinate grid

Population and city profile

Manchester recorded a median age of 30 years at the end of 2021.

How many people live in Manchester?

The published population was 470,405 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics¹¹

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport66.3%
Foreign residents33.7%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Foreign-resident share	33.71 %	31 Dec 2021	Census 2021 (ONS): Towns and cities (characteristics of built-up areas), tables 4c/4d¹Official
Foreign residents	158,585 people	31 Dec 2021	Census 2021 (ONS): Towns and cities (characteristics of built-up areas), tables 4c/4d¹Official
Population	470,405 people	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics¹¹Official

International community in Manchester

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Usual residents living in the individual ONS Built-up Area on Census Day 21 March 2021 · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Europe: United Kingdom	311,820	66.3%
Non-EU countries (including British Overseas)	118,735	25.2%
Europe: EU countries	39,850	8.5%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher	39.4 %	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics¹⁰Official
Workers aged 16 and over	199,220 workers	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics¹⁰Official
Median age	30 years	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics¹⁰Official
Universities	2 count	3 Aug 2026	Office for Students¹⁴Official

Alternatives for people set on Manchester

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Leeds as a Manchester alternative in the same region

58 km away, better on 2 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2. Median gross pay, city cannot be compared like for like.

Unemployment: 3.3% Leeds vs 4.9% Manchester−33%
Median gross pay, city: €3,679 Leeds vs €3,555 Manchesterno percentage
Recorded crime, per 100k: 11,462 Leeds vs 14,267 Manchester−20%
Foreign residents: 21.0% Leeds vs 33.7% Manchester−38%
Median gross pay, region: €3,095 Leeds vs €3,430 Manchester−10%
Residents: 536,280 Leeds vs 470,405 Manchester+14%
Annual PM2.5: 12.0 µg/m³ Leeds vs 12.0 µg/m³ Manchestersame level

Full comparison More about Leeds

Coventry as a Manchester alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 126 km, better on 2 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Median gross pay, city cannot be compared like for like.

Recorded crime, per 100k: 8,836 Coventry vs 14,267 Manchester−38%
Median gross pay, city: €4,015 Coventry vs €3,555 Manchesterno percentage
Annual PM2.5: 10.0 µg/m³ Coventry vs 12.0 µg/m³ Manchester−17%
Foreign residents: 28.2% Coventry vs 33.7% Manchester−16%
Residents: 344,285 Coventry vs 470,405 Manchester−27%
Median gross pay, region: €3,346 Coventry vs €3,430 Manchestersame level
Unemployment: 5.0% Coventry vs 4.9% Manchestersame level

Full comparison More about Coventry

Cities near Manchester

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Alternative cities in United Kingdom

Other cities in United Kingdom to compare with Manchester, nearest in population first.

All United Kingdom cities

Edinburgh488,050 residents Sheffield500,535 residents Liverpool506,565 residents Bristol425,215 residents Leeds536,280 residents Croydon407,821 residents

How does Manchester compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Manchester's.

Open the full comparison

Manchester in rankings

#4 of 21 in Most international cities in United Kingdom #6 of 30 in Largest cities in United Kingdom #20 of 30 in Highest salary cities in United Kingdom

Put Manchester's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Manchester?

The published population was 470,405 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics.

Is the air quality good in Manchester?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 12 µg/m³ (2019) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency.

How safe is Manchester?

Police recorded about 14,267 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Office for National Statistics.

What is the typical salary in Manchester?

The median gross salary is about 3,555 EUR/month (2025). The regional series (home-region basis, 2024) is a separate labelled row in the table. Source: ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary.

What is the unemployment rate in Manchester?

The unemployment rate is about 4.9 % (2018). Source: Eurostat.

What is the typical salary around Manchester?

The median gross salary is 3,430 EUR/month. Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Is Manchester a good place to live?

Manchester may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Which cities are near Manchester?

Salford, Droylsden, Stretford, Didsbury, Eccles are near Manchester. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Europe: United Kingdom live in Manchester?

The official country of birth distribution records 311,820 people (66.3%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Manchester, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 9ef9a1377cca430dc56a1e298d8c97a0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/manchester/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_manchester-united-kingdom-population-rent-salary-jobs_fbeef7b298ef,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Manchester, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {9ef9a1377cca430dc56a1e298d8c97a0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/manchester/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Manchester, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/manchester/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 9ef9a1377cca430dc56a1e298d8c97a0; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

Census 2021 (ONS): Towns and cities (characteristics of built-up areas), tables 4c/4d ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-17
Department for Education (GIAS) get-information-schools.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-03
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) - Manchester Adult Education manadulted.ac.uk · checked 2026-09-19
European Environment Agency air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
Manchester City Council — Jobcentre Plus directory Manchester City Council · hsm.manchester.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-15
NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
ODS GP Practices report (epraccur) odsdatasearchandexport.nhs.uk · checked 2026-09-15
ODS Pharmacy/Dispensaries report (edispensary) odsdatasearchandexport.nhs.uk · checked 2026-09-15
Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-07

Show 21 more sources

Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-04
Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-04
Office for National Statistics (ONS) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-06
Office for Students officeforstudents.org.uk · checked 2026-08-03
ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary ONS ASHE workplace analysis · nomisweb.co.uk · checked 2026-09-05
ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-23
OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
PFA tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C2 counts; Table C4 rates and mid-2024 population) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-18
Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics, 16 September 2026 edition ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-18
Travel to Work Areas (December 2011) full extent boundaries in the United Kingdom services1.arcgis.com · checked 2026-09-19
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/uk/manchester/ Numbeo city cost-of-living page · de.numbeo.com · checked 2026-09-05

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.