MCR.CITY sourced budgets
Moving to Manchester
What rent, council tax and take-home pay look like across all ten councils.
Rent updated for July 2026. Tax and council tax use 2026/27 rates.
The answer before the calculator
Start with the council, then the bedroom count
Greater Manchester is ten councils, not one rental market. In July 2026, the average one-bedroom rent ranged from £541.00 a month in Wigan to £998.00 in Manchester. That is a £457.00 monthly spread before council tax or other bills.
Manchester city had the highest all-property average in the ONS release at £1,365.00 a month. Trafford was £1,367.00, while Wigan was £745.00. These are local-authority averages, not quotes for a street or a neighbourhood. ONS advises care with local monthly movements because the samples are smaller, so use the figures as a current comparison rather than a promise about one home.
Council tax is also set by council and band. For 2026/27, Manchester Band B is £1,798.25 a year for a dwelling occupied by two adults. Trafford Band B is £1,782.43; Salford Band B is £2,017.91. Check which council the address belongs to before using any figure.
For a standard employee on £32,000, the 2026/27 Income Tax and employee National Insurance illustration gives £2,213.30 take-home pay a month. Manchester one-bedroom rent and Band B council tax divided across twelve months total £1,147.85, leaving £1,065.45 before energy, water, food, transport and every other cost.
| Council | All homes | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bolton | £884.00 | £647.00 | £806.00 | £978.00 | £1,434.00 |
| Bury | £969.00 | £686.00 | £888.00 | £1,064.00 | £1,559.00 |
| Manchester | £1,365.00 | £998.00 | £1,227.00 | £1,425.00 | £2,005.00 |
| Oldham | £931.00 | £694.00 | £868.00 | £1,054.00 | £1,437.00 |
| Rochdale | £844.00 | £614.00 | £789.00 | £948.00 | £1,360.00 |
| Salford | £1,167.00 | £886.00 | £1,082.00 | £1,284.00 | £1,766.00 |
| Stockport | £1,111.00 | £807.00 | £1,029.00 | £1,257.00 | £1,734.00 |
| Tameside | £927.00 | £682.00 | £881.00 | £1,058.00 | £1,396.00 |
| Trafford | £1,367.00 | £943.00 | £1,200.00 | £1,480.00 | £2,103.00 |
| Wigan | £745.00 | £541.00 | £698.00 | £836.00 | £1,142.00 |
Use your figures
Build the known housing part
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32,000 gross, Manchester, 1 bedroom, Band B
This is an illustration, not a payslip or a quote. It excludes pension contributions, student-loan repayments, benefits, salary sacrifice, energy, water, food, transport, broadband, insurance and every other cost.
Dated sources
Where every figure comes from
All four sources were read and re-verified on 20 August 2026. Crown copyright material is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- 1Office for National StatisticsPrivate rent and house prices, UK: August 2026, local authority data for July 2026Read 20 August 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- 2Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentCouncil Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027, Table 9Read 20 August 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- 3HM Revenue & CustomsIncome Tax rates and allowances for 2026 to 2027Read 20 August 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- 4HM Revenue & CustomsRates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027, employee Class 1 National InsuranceRead 20 August 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0.
