Overview
Manchester is a vibrant, bustling city in the North of England. But it can be difficult to make the decision in moving from London to Manchester. The two places are both cities but have very different characteristics.
The city is a powerful part of the North West and is now commonly associated with the Northern Power House.
Although it’s a smaller place to live, you’ll find plenty of people in Manchester. There are about 2.8 million people living within the Greater Manchester region alone (so this includes the central part of Manchester City and all the local neighbourhoods around).
The city has two major football clubs in the Premier League football competition, perfect for sports fans. And the city has a whole host of concerts and performances during the ear to keep you entertained.
The band Oasis started in Manchester and have sold over 70 million records worldwide
Why are people moving from London to Manchester?
Manchester combines a great combination of high paying jobs and an affordable area to live.
Manchester Salaries
The average Manchester salary (£31,000) is now equal to the average salary for the UK. It used to be the case that salaries in the North of the UK were much less than the South. But in recent years the thriving economy in Manchester has meant wages are rising, leading more people to think about moving from London to Manchester.
Jobs In Manchester
Manchester now has so many jobs across the region. There are over 20,000 businesses in Manchester, across big and small companies.
The North West now has over 500,000 jobs.
Some of the major companies in Manchester include Google, Sky, ITV Studios, Stagecoach, Adidas, McVitie’s and Kellogg’s.
Costs Of Moving From London To Manchester
Professional Moving Service
Before we go into this, it’s worth saying that this is a fully inclusive service and is reflected in the cost. For cheaper options scroll down to the next.
Moving from London to Manchester will cost a different amount depending on how many belongings you have. But the average cost of having people help you move and drive your items up would be £800 at the budget end.
Moving costs can be complicated to work out. But there are three main parts that get counted as part of the quote:
Items Cost
It’s a simple fact that if your home is bigger then there will be more items to move, and this costs more.
A one bedroom flat can come in at an items cost of £300.
A two bedroom flat can increase to £600.
And on the high end of the scale, a four bedroom home can cost up to £1,800 for the items cost alone.
Labour Cost
The moving company will charge out each worker for their time in helping you move. This would include the time in packing, loading, driving and unloading.
Setting aside half an hour on each side to load and unload boxes and a total driving time of 4 hours, this comes in at 5 hours.
At a standard rate of £50 per hour, this puts the total labour cost at £200
Mileage Charge
The moving company will also charge you a mileage rate based on how far you are travelling. Greater London to Manchester is approximately a 200 mile drive. The current mileage rates are set at £1 per mile. So a trip to Manchester would cost £200 in mileage.
So as you can see, moving costs can add up. If you have reasonable size home in London you can end up paying £1,000 or more just to transport your belongings.
Man With Van
If you want to save the pennies on moving costs, be aware that anything cheaper is likely to be a quicker job. Professional movers know that many boxes can contain fragile items and priceless family gifts.
If you go with a man with a van, this will no doubt be cheaper, but may result in a few boxes getting scuffed, items may get crammed into a small vehicle and the driver may not be as relaxed when driving up.
We’ve found the best service for a man with a van is Bark. They have a wide range of professional workers across the UK at different prices (they also provide other services like painting, decorating, bathroom installations and gardening. Link is below to their website.
Cost of living in Manchester
The cost of living as been a major reason why people have been moving from London to Manchester. Manchester house prices are still much lower than London (London house prices are currently double the price of house prices in the North West).
Cheaper homes mean smaller mortgages, and this can mean you have more money available for hobbies, family and enjoyment.
For other items (food, clothes, activities) costs tend to be the same across the UK, so you won’t find much of a difference in these categories.
Climate between London and Manchester
Manchester often has the reputation of being a very rainy city compared to London – and there is some truth to it. Rain for the year in Manchester is 87cm on average compared to London rain of 56cm.
It’s also true that Manchester gets a little colder than London, but the temperature difference between the two cities is small at 3 degrees. So it’s best to prepare yourself for typical British weather if you make the move up here.
Property prices
We compared the average house price in each city with the average salary for a person to see if it is more cost effective moving from London to Manchester. In Manchester the average house price to earnings ratio is 7.0. This is much lower than the price to earnings ratio for London of 15.0.
This means that in general the average person will be able to pay off a home in Manchester quicker than they can in London. It’s simply less expensive.
Now there are obviously exceptions to this. No two homes are the same, and if you end up comparing a 4 bedroom house in the centre of Manchester with a studio flat in Greater London you are obviously going to find exceptions.
But in general the cost of housing is cheaper up North, even after the big price surge in Manchester that was seen during COVID.
Public transport in Manchester
The growth in Manchester over the past 10 years has meant the city has invested in an extensive overground transport network. The Metrolink tram network connects the centre of Manchester to many towns across the region, including Eccles, Bury, Ashton and the Trafford Centre shopping mall.
Trams now run from 6am in the morning to midnight, so it has good coverage for commuters.
Although the tram network is good, it’s definitely no match to the London Underground in terms of speed, coverage and reliability.
Working in Manchester
Manchester has a few key business hubs in the area.
The city centre region is expanding rapidly. You’ll find many offices along main roads in Manchester, including Deansgate, Oxford Street, Princess Street and Spinningfields.
Outside of the city centre, there are 1300 businesses located in Trafford Park. Trafford Park is an industrial zone, but is in a perfect location for commuting (plenty of space for parking cars and it has a stop on the tram link).
Salaries in Manchester
It’s true that in general Manchester will pay lower salaries compared to London. This is just a fact that is driven by the current market rates in each region. But because prices in Manchester are cheaper (especially homes) you’ll find your money will go further in this region compared to the capital city.
As a life hack, some people have been able to find jobs based in London that require minimal commuting to the London office or are a fully remote job. This lets someone have a London salary while living a more affordable life in Manchester. And even if some commuting is required, trains now run between the two cities in under 2 hours which can make the commute manageable.
Shopping in Manchester
Manchester has a great selection of retail shops in the area.
City Centre
Firstly you have the sprawling high streets within the city centre of Manchester.
The Arndale centre is slapped right in the middle of Manchester. There are over 200 stores inside, ranging from high street brands to the iconic Selfridges store. It’s great for a day out, even if you don’t plan on spending.
Trafford Centre
The Trafford Centre is huge shopping mall equipped with restaurants and leisure activities (like the busiest cinema in the UK). The centre gets over 30 million visitors a year, so it’s worth taking a look. Parking it easy too – there are 11,000 spaces.
The design of the shopping centre is really unique. Instead of boring, clinical, white walls the designers actually went for a Baroque style of interiors. This incorporated paintings, gold leaf paint, artefacts and plenty of granite and marble surfaces.
Best neighbourhoods in Manchester
Manchester has a wide range of neighbourhoods within the region. Just like in many places, everyone has a different view on which area is best. We’ve put together a list below of some of the most popular neightbourhoods and the reasons
For the city life
Ancoats
Definitely an area for young professionals. The district is within the city centre and easy reach of trending bars, restaurants, clubs and pop up stalls. Many of the buildings in Ancoats are still exposed brick from industrial times, so there’s a real sense of history when walking around.
Northern Quarter
This district is very close to Ancoats, but it has it’s own unique vibe. It’s another location for the outgoing life and experiencing a true city vibe. You can happily walk to the centre of Manchester in a few minutes rather than having to drive.
For the tech workers
Salford
Manchester has experienced a large leap in the number of tech companies coming to the area. A large cluster of these tech titans are based in Media City, Salford. Media City is a modern development housing national television channels BBC and ITV studios. The area has a lovely riverside, sprawling bars and feels like it’s own community.
For the family life
Sale
Sale is impressive. For one, there are some fantastic family size properties in the area, making it a popular choice for growing families.
Trafford also has an excellent choice of primary and secondary schools in the area. Many schools in the area are given top marks by Ofsted.
Next door to homes in Sale is the Water Park, with 152 acres of tranquil countryside alongside an artificial lake. The are is a great day for the family, with many miles of tracks and trails to explore during the year.
Sale has an exciting development called Stanley Square. This new build will have 50 new shops, a large car park with bus, tram and taxi links.
Altrincham
For many years, Altrincham has been named one of the best places to live. It’s close to Sale and has many of the same benefits (being good schools, nice homes).
Altrincham also has picturesque buildings to walk around. This includes the famous Food Hall, selling delicious produce during most days of the week.
For the Professional Suburbs
Didsbury
Didsbury was made famous by the celebrities who bought up homes in the area. It’s a perfect mix of a vibrant scene and a relaxed atmosphere. It’s only 4 miles away from the city centre, so getting back and forth is easy.
For the Budget
Bolton
Some of the areas above are beautiful places to live, but they are also more expensive than the average house.
Bolton has more homes that can cater for a price conscious individual. Whilst it is further out from Manchester, it’s by no means disconnected. A 30 minute drive would get you straight into Manchester city centre.
There are plenty of shops in and around Bolton, with Middlebrook Retail Park also nearby (the largest shopping park in the UK).