cost
Cost of Living Index
Birmingham67.6 / 100
Manchester70.1 / 0
Comparison
Side-by-side data for relocation, travel, hiring, and investment decisions. Values are shown with source-backed metric definitions so trade-offs are easy to compare.
Bars and radar use 0-100 better scores. Tooltips keep the raw source values visible.
Chart summary: Birmingham leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; Manchester leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; Manchester leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; Birmingham leads House Price to Income with 100 out of 100. A complete normalized score table follows.
| Metric | Place | Raw value | Normalized score | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | Birmingham | 67.6 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Cost of Living Index | Manchester | 70.1 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Safety Index | Birmingham | 60 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | Manchester | 82.1 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | Birmingham | $1,142 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | Manchester | $729 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Birmingham | 7.4x | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Manchester | 7.5x | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Birmingham | $4,575/mo | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Manchester | $4,221/mo | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Birmingham | 11.3% | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Manchester | 12.7% | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Healthcare Access Index | Birmingham | 65.1 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Healthcare Access Index | Manchester | 68.1 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Birmingham | 75.0 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Manchester | 80.2 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
Manchester wins on 12 of 22 metrics compared to Birmingham.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
Birmingham leads cost, housing, and salary; Manchester leads safety, rent, and health.
cost
Birmingham
67.6
Manchester
70.1
safety
Birmingham
60
Manchester
82.1
housing
Birmingham
$1,142
Manchester
$729
housing
Birmingham
7.4x
Manchester
7.5x
jobs
Birmingham
$4,575/mo
Manchester
$4,221/mo
jobs
Birmingham
11.3%
Manchester
12.7%
health
Birmingham
65.1
Manchester
68.1
health
Birmingham
75.0 years
Manchester
80.2 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
Birmingham
-0.1%
Manchester
3.0%
education
Birmingham
77.2
Manchester
75.9
transport
Birmingham
82.2
Manchester
81.9
safety
Birmingham
11.0 per 100k
Manchester
21.6 per 100k
safety
Birmingham
32.0 per 100k
Manchester
30.0 per 100k
health
Birmingham
23.9%
Manchester
39.6%
quality
Birmingham
4.6
Manchester
6.1
housing
Birmingham
$14,331/sqm
Manchester
$8,944/sqm
religion
Birmingham
60.9%
Manchester
48.3%
religion
Birmingham
68.6%
Manchester
76.6%
religion
Birmingham
52.9%
Manchester
74.8%
Some city-level values are modeled estimates when official city-level data is unavailable.
Each metric keeps its source, year, last refreshed date, and confidence label visible. Review methodology or Data Sources.