Video by Traveling with Kristin
First Month in Manchester: Costs and Culture Shock
About a month after moving from Miami to Manchester, Traveling with Kristin said food, phone and internet cost less than in the US. A grocery-store salad that would be $8–9 in the US was about two pounds, maybe three, in Manchester. Her Virgin Media contract, 500 megabits, cost about 50 pounds a month, which she called pretty expensive.
What it cost them
As stated in the video, June 2023. Prices change; these are theirs.
| Grocery-store salad, in the USher US comparison | $9 or $8 | ▶ 12:23 |
|---|---|---|
| Grocery-store salad, in Manchester | two pounds, maybe three pounds | ▶ 12:23 |
| Bag of tangerines or oranges, in the USher US comparison | $7 | ▶ 12:23 |
| Bag of tangerines or oranges, in Manchester | one pound | ▶ 12:23 |
| Serrano ham, in the USher US comparison | $7 or $8 | ▶ 12:55 |
| Serrano ham, in Manchester | one or two pounds | ▶ 12:55 |
| Virgin Media internet, 500 megabitsshe calls it pretty expensive | about 50 pounds per month | ▶ 13:27 |
Their situation
Questions this video answers
How much do groceries in Manchester cost compared with the US?
Traveling with Kristin said a grocery-store salad that would be $8 or $9 in the US was about two pounds, maybe three, and a $7 bag of tangerines or oranges cost one pound. ▶ 12:23
How much does home internet cost in the UK?
She got a Virgin Media contract with 500 megabits per second for about 50 pounds a month and called it pretty expensive. She said the minimum contract is 18 months, "maybe 12", with a big cancellation fee. ▶ 13:27
What surprised an American about people in Manchester?
Traveling with Kristin was surprised how friendly and welcoming people are: she found strangers in a grocery store or a taxi happy to talk back. ▶ 1:45
What was missing from her home in Manchester?
Traveling with Kristin's home has a refrigerator but no freezer, something she never thought to ask about. She says that meant no more iced coffee. ▶ 10:45
Why did living in the UK make her feel sad?
After a couple of weeks, Traveling with Kristin realised the friendliness, the healthy pace of life and the sense of community made her feel very nostalgic and sentimental. ▶ 14:01
The moments, in order
Press ▶ to play the video from that second.
- ▶ 1:13
Coming from Florida, she has used her heating a lot and lit the fireplace even in spring, and hopes the heating won't be too expensive. Locals joked that if she needs a fire now, winter will be very hard for her.
- ▶ 1:45
She was surprised how easily strangers chat, in grocery stores, taxis or on park benches, and how unhurried everyday life is compared with what she was used to.
- ▶ 7:38
Accents sometimes beat her. A neighbour had to repeat it about seven times that he was asking whether she was feeding the horse across the street before she understood the word "horse".
- ▶ 9:12
Living in an ordinary neighbourhood rather than a tourist area, she couldn't find a postcard for Mother's Day anywhere. For her that showed how often she had stayed in touristy places in Portugal, Croatia and Greece.
- ▶ 10:45
Her home has a fridge but no freezer. She says it's something you would never think to ask about, unlike a washer or dishwasher. No more iced coffee for her, she says: it's too cold and she has no freezer.
- ▶ 11:48
People had warned her about heavy drinking and drunks everywhere, but she hasn't seen that. Bars and clubs have been friendly, and people seem no drunker than elsewhere.
- ▶ 12:23
She finds food, phone and internet cheaper than in the US, though London costs more and mainland Europe less. Items that cost $7–9 in the US are one or two pounds there: a grocery-store salad that would be $8–9 in the US is about two pounds, maybe three, and a bag of tangerines that would be $7 is one pound.
as stated, June 2023
- ▶ 13:27
She moved to a Virgin Media contract with 500 megabits for about 50 pounds a month, which she calls pretty expensive. She says the minimum contract is 18 months, "maybe 12", and cancelling brings a big fee, which she finds less flexible than in the US.
as stated, June 2023
- ▶ 14:01
After a couple of weeks she realised the friendliness, the slower pace and the sense of community were making her sad. They reminded her of the US of her childhood 20 or 30 years ago and made her wonder whether the US will feel like that again.
Worth knowing before you go
- ▶ 10:45
Her home has a fridge but no freezer. She says it's something you would never think to ask about, unlike a washer or dishwasher. No more iced coffee for her, she says: it's too cold and she has no freezer.
- ▶ 13:27
She moved to a Virgin Media contract with 500 megabits for about 50 pounds a month, which she calls pretty expensive. She says the minimum contract is 18 months, "maybe 12", and cancelling brings a big fee, which she finds less flexible than in the US.
as stated, June 2023
This is their experience, retold in our words, and not medical, insurance or financial advice.