Moving to Manchester, UK: Everything You Need to Know

Introduction

Manchester – rain, music, football, and a city that gave us the modern computer.

Home to Coronation Street, a Doctor Who, and L.S. Lowry, Manchester also played a key part in the industrial revolution before going on to become the vibrant metropolis it is today. With its rich past, a thriving cultural scene, and more than a few legendary nights out awaiting any first-time visitor, it is easily one of the UK’s finest cities.

This guide will help you navigate everything from where to live to the quirks of “Manc” life before relocating to Manchester or moving there for a month or two.

Why Move to Manchester?

Manchester is a true melting pot, home to Curry Mile, Chinatown, and more vegan cafés than you can shake a falafel at. It offers a truly dynamic lifestyle, from world-class gigs at the AO Arena to the annual Manchester International Festival, there’s always something happening.

Manchester’s economy is on the up, too, with booming sectors in tech, media, healthcare, and finance. It’s not exactly cheap to live in this large city, but it’s by no means as pricey as London. Average house prices in Manchester are around £280,000, with detached homes averaging £450,000.

If you’re moving to Manchester to rent, average monthly rent is around £1,300 as of May 2025, with one-bedroom flats at around £950. These are almost half the rental prices in London – a relative bargain if you subscribe to the idea that Manchester, not Birmingham, is the UK’s unofficial “Second City”.

House prices in Manchester are higher than the regional average; that’s because of high demand. Thousands flock to the city to live and work each year, and at the top end of the scale, luxury penthouses in the city centre can top £3m.

Savills, the estate agent, predicts that property prices in Manchester will grow by almost 30% over the next five years. Investing in Manchester property, therefore, could be a wise long-term bet.

Living in Manchester comes with additional costs that are comparable to those of most cities – expect to pay around £200 per month for electricity, heating and water for a standard apartment. You’ll need an umbrella, too, or maybe a couple of them. To be fair, however, Manchester isn’t the UK’s rainiest city – that honour goes to Cardiff.

If you plan on using public transport, you should also budget for a monthly Metrolink tram pass, which costs about £80 – £120, though bus fares are capped at £2 per journey.

Best Areas to Live in Manchester

Here’s a quick summary of some well-known places you may have heard of – and what they’re known for:

Ancoats: Trendy, canalside apartments, artisan bakeries, indie coffee shops.
Didsbury: Leafy, family-friendly, top schools, brunch spots galore.
Chorlton: Bohemian, eco-conscious, craft beer, and community spirit.
Prestwich: Green spaces, delis, quick tram ride to the centre.
Castlefield: Historic, waterside living, Roman ruins, warehouse conversions.
The Heatons: Suburban, great for families, parks, independent shops.

If you work in the entertainment sector, Media City may be to your liking, too. Next to the Manchester Ship Canal in Salford Quays, this new business hub a couple of miles west of the city centre is home to both the BBC and ITV.

Employment and Economy

Manchester leads in digital, media, healthcare, and finance. Top employers include the BBC, Boohoo, Siemens, Kellogg’s, The Co-operative Group, Unilever, Microsoft, Deloitte, Barclays, and more. Other companies such as Amazon, Google, Adidas, McVities, KPMG and Betfred also have a strong local presence.

No matter what your background, there’s a potential job awaiting you – freelancers, too, as Manchester has a vibrant creative sector in which freelancers abound. The Talk Business website named Manchester the UK’s fourth best city for freelancers.

Even more impressive, MoneySupermarket once named Manchester the UK’s #1 city for freelancers. The website claimed it had the largest number of active freelancers outside of London.

Education in Manchester

Manchester offers a wide range of primary and secondary schools, both state and independent, with several rated “Outstanding” by Ofsted. There are more than 100 schools in the area.

When the kids have grown up and university beckons, the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University are both highly ranked and attract students worldwide. Physicist Brian Cox and actor Benedict Cumberbatch both went to the former.

Transportation and Connectivity

Manchester has one of the UK’s best transport networks, thanks in part to the efforts of the city’s mayor, Andy Burnham, who has long-term plans for further improvements.

These include a new network of underground trains and trams. He told the BBC in the summer of 2025 that “This city is the fastest growing in the UK – and my message to government is that you can’t take this growth for granted.” Investing in further transport improvements, he said, was “essential.”

The Metrolink tram system already covers much of Greater Manchester, with 99 stops along 64 miles, making it the UK’s most extensive light rail network. Over 42 million passenger journeys were made in 2023/24.

Manchester Piccadilly and Victoria stations offer quick train connections to Liverpool, Leeds, London, and beyond. When the HS2 network opens in Birmingham, travel from Manchester to London should be achievable in under two hours.

Manchester has excellent motorway connections to all corners of the UK, and Sheffield, Leeds, and Liverpool can all be reached within an hour if the traffic gods are on your side.

Healthcare and Medical Services

Manchester is served by several major NHS hospitals, including Manchester Royal Infirmary, Wythenshawe Hospital, Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, and more. These are augmented by numerous private healthcare options for those seeking faster access.

The Alexandra Hospital in Cheadle is one of the UK’s largest private hospitals, noted for its excellence in orthopaedic surgery, neurosurgery, spinal surgery and cancer care.

Lifestyle and Recreation

There’s always something to do in Manchester – whether it’s watching an Oasis tribute band bludgeon their way through Wonderwall in a local pub, catching one of the city’s two world-famous teams take on a Premier League rival, or experiencing something a little more highbrow at the Opera House.

The legendary AO Arena in Manchester has hosted everyone from Madonna and Prince to U2 and the Rolling Stones.

If you want to get out and about and stretch your legs, you’re also spoiled for choice. When the many delights of the city centre wear off, check out Heaton Park (one of Europe’s largest municipal parks), Fletcher Moss Botanical Gardens, or Alexandra Park – all perfect for a stroll.

Plus, there’s the wide array of museums and galleries, such as The Science and Industry Museum, Manchester Art Gallery, and the Whitworth. Football fans will be in their element at the National Football Museum, which boasts more than 40,000 artefacts, including the oldest surviving FA Cup trophy.

Just south of the city, meanwhile, Jodrell Bank offers fans of outer space the chance to listen to the sounds of a black hole. Manchester has something for everyone.

Safety and Community

Manchester’s crime rate was 114.6 crimes per 1,000 people in 2023/24, which puts the city just outside the UK’s top 10, and rates are decreasing, with an 8% drop in incidents in the year to December 2024.

Areas like Didsbury, Sale, and The Heatons are generally much safer than some city centre locations after dark, and anyone relocating to a well-known problem area such as Moss Side would do well to do their homework before making the move.

Local Amenities and Shopping

Major supermarkets abound – you’re never far from a Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Asda, Lidl or Aldi. Manchester has shopping centres galore, too, including The Arndale Centre in the middle of town, and the Trafford Centre – a retail mecca.

The Trafford Centre is more than just a shopper’s delight – it has a genuine ski slope, allowing you to test out your skills in the snow year-round, an IMAX cinema, laser tag, mini golf and more. There are also regular events and festivals.

Manchester’s Northern Quarter, five miles east of the Trafford Centre, is packed with quirky independents – just the place for a rare collectable or some stylish vintage clothing.

Tips for Moving to Manchester

Making the move to a new city can be daunting, and the best way to begin is with a thorough checklist of everything you need to do before your arrival. Make sure you include the following:

• Arrange accommodation
• Register with a GP
• Set up utilities (electric, gas, water, broadband)
• Register for council tax with Manchester City Council
• Inform your bank

To better prepare you, ask ChatGPT to create a tailored “moving to Manchester” list just for you. Provide the date you move, and ask AI to work backwards so you have some clear dates by which you need to have everything completed.

If you need somewhere to store your goods while moving to Manchester – perhaps your property isn’t quite ready, or you’re having renovation work done – consider self storage. It gives you some breathing space, and can also be a smart solution if the place you’re moving into is smaller than the place you are leaving.

Self storage in Manchester is easy to find and generally offers good value for money. You simply choose the size of unit you need, book it, and turn up with your possessions. Your items are then kept under lock and key until you are ready to retrieve them. Easy!

When to Relocate to Manchester

The best time to relocate to Manchester is probably summer or early autumn – though in Manchester, dodging the rain can be a challenge at any time of the year!

The summer months – July and August in particular – can be pretty full-on (think street life and parades that turn the pavements into a buzzing playground), so if you’re looking for a more gentle introduction to the city, the winter months might work better for you instead.

If you’re moving to Manchester from overseas, be warned: north-western winters can be cold, though temperatures don’t tend to drop below freezing all that often.

Conclusion

Manchester is a city that blends Northern grit, humour and stoicism with a dash of global flair. It is awash with creatives, techies and innovators, and has earned its seat as a major player on the global business stage.

It also offers (relative) affordability, heaps of opportunity, and a lifestyle that’s as lively or laid-back as you want. Whether you’re moving for work, study, or just a change of scenery, Manchester is ready to welcome you – with or without an umbrella.

Condé Nast Traveller readers voted the city the UK’s 8th best in 2024, noting its “grand libraries, street art, record shops and galleries.” All told, Manchester was only eight points (out of 100) behind London – one of the coolest cities in the world.

So, a move to Manchester – definitely? Maybe? We’ll leave that up to you.

Make your move to Manchester stress-free – start exploring the city’s top neighbourhoods and living tips today.