Cost of living in Manchester research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Manchester is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Connecticut, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Manchester is 105, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Manchester is 1.1x higher than the national average.
Manchester ranks as the #11 cheapest in Connecticut out of 56.
Manchester ranks as the #3,177 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Manchester is $321,368.
The median income in Manchester is $76,780.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Manchester has an overall cost of living index of 105, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Connecticut, Manchester has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Connecticut's index of 119.
The standard of living in Manchester ranks as #11 most affordable out of the 56 places we measured in Connecticut. By definition, that implies Manchester ranks as the #45 most expensive place in the Constitution State.
For more reading on life in Manchester, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Manchester. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Manchester is 109.
The Groceries index in Manchester is 102.
The Health index in Manchester is 105.
The Housing index in Manchester is 99.
The Transportation index in Manchester is 95.
The Utilities index in Manchester is 128.
| Living Expense | Manchester | Connecticut | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 105 | 119 | 100 | |
| Services | 109 | 109 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 102 | 100 | 100 | |
| Health | 105 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 99 | 137 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 95 | 101 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 128 | 131 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Connecticut, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Manchester is $321,368.
The Median Rent in Manchester is $1,357.
The Median Income in Manchester is $76,780.
The Home Value To Income in Manchester is 4.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Manchester is 0.21x.
| Statistic | Manchester | Connecticut | United States | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $321,368 | $430,086 | $303,400 | 
| Median Rent | $1,357 | $1,431 | $1,348 | 
| Median Income | $76,780 | $93,760 | $78,538 | 
| Home Value To Income | 4.2x | 4.6x | 3.9x | 
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.21x | 0.18x | 0.21x | 
| Item | Manchester | Connecticut | 
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.42 | $1.28 | 
| Movie | $12.85 | $12.13 | 
| Bowling | $18.33 | $18 | 
| Haircut | $33.78 | $24.26 | 
| Beauty Salon | $58.55 | $45.56 | 
| Item | Manchester | Connecticut | 
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.23 | $5.84 | 
| Fried Chicken | $1.46 | $1.57 | 
| Milk | $4.73 | $4.67 | 
| Potatoes | $4.96 | $4.93 | 
| Pizza | $10.79 | $12.09 | 
| Beer | $10.49 | $10.41 | 
| Toothpaste | $3.65 | $3.7 | 
| Item | Manchester | Connecticut | 
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $166.22 | $125.68 | 
| Doctor | $182.5 | $135.78 | 
| Dentist | $127.0 | $113.29 | 
| Item | Manchester | Connecticut | 
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.34 | $3.46 | 
| Tire Balancing | $71.63 | $59.92 | 
| Item | Manchester | Connecticut | 
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $302.09 | $193.99 | 
| Phone | $185.16 | $192.25 | 
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Manchester. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Hartford, CT has a cost of living index of 103, 1.0x Manchester.
West Hartford, CT has a cost of living index of 124, 1.2x Manchester.
East Hartford, CT has a cost of living index of 106, 1.0x Manchester.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Manchester | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford, CT | 119,970 | 103 | 1.0x | 
| West Hartford, CT | 63,809 | 124 | 1.2x | 
| East Hartford, CT | 50,798 | 106 | 1.0x | 
| Newington, CT | 30,551 | 114 | 1.1x | 
| Wethersfield, CT | 27,180 | 113 | 1.1x | 
| Kensington, CT | 9,936 | 119 | 1.1x | 
| Southwood Acres, CT | 8,154 | 113 | 1.1x | 
| Glastonbury Center, CT | 7,860 | 123 | 1.2x | 
| Rockville, CT | 6,657 | 102 | 1.0x | 
| Sherwood Manor, CT | 5,781 | 111 | 1.1x |