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 New Hampshire, 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 118, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Manchester is 1.2x higher than the national average.
Manchester ranks as the #11 cheapest in New Hampshire out of 26.
Manchester ranks as the #4,280 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Manchester is $433,658.
The median income in Manchester is $77,415.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Manchester has an overall cost of living index of 118, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to New Hampshire, Manchester has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than New Hampshire's index of 116.
The standard of living in Manchester ranks as #11 most affordable out of the 26 places we measured in New Hampshire. By definition, that implies Manchester ranks as the #15 most expensive place in the Granite 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 118.
The Groceries index in Manchester is 101.
The Health index in Manchester is 115.
The Housing index in Manchester is 128.
The Transportation index in Manchester is 110.
The Utilities index in Manchester is 131.
| Living Expense | Manchester | New Hampshire | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 118 | 116 | 100 | |
| Services | 118 | 118 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 101 | 103 | 100 | |
| Health | 115 | 114 | 100 | |
| Housing | 128 | 122 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 110 | 110 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 131 | 132 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in New Hampshire, 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 $433,658.
The Median Rent in Manchester is $1,465.
The Median Income in Manchester is $77,415.
The Home Value To Income in Manchester is 5.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Manchester is 0.23x.
| Statistic | Manchester | New Hampshire | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $433,658 | $501,649 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,465 | $1,423 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $77,415 | $95,628 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 5.6x | 5.2x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.23x | 0.18x | 0.21x |
| Item | Manchester | New Hampshire |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.25 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $13.07 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $25.44 | $18 |
| Haircut | $26.58 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $67.97 | $45.56 |
| Item | Manchester | New Hampshire |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.47 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.44 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.75 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.01 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $11.66 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $9.82 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.73 | $3.7 |
| Item | Manchester | New Hampshire |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $115.0 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $164.0 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $136.17 | $113.29 |
| Item | Manchester | New Hampshire |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.33 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $86.0 | $59.92 |
| Item | Manchester | New Hampshire |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $294.4 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $186.72 | $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:
Nashua, NH has a cost of living index of 126, 1.1x Manchester.
Concord, NH has a cost of living index of 117, 1.0x Manchester.
Derry, NH has a cost of living index of 121, 1.0x Manchester.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Manchester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashua, NH | 91,131 | 126 | 1.1x |
| Concord, NH | 44,219 | 117 | 1.0x |
| Derry, NH | 21,668 | 121 | 1.0x |
| Londonderry, NH | 12,307 | 132 | 1.1x |
| Milford, NH | 8,857 | 123 | 1.0x |
| Hudson, NH | 7,105 | 118 | 1.0x |
| South Hooksett, NH | 5,806 | 123 | 1.0x |
| Hooksett, NH | 5,362 | 120 | 1.0x |