The Top 10 Cheapest Places To Live In Manchester

With average house prices up by 8.2% and average rent up by 7.6% in the year to April 2025, it’s no wonder people like you are looking for nice, affordable places to live near Manchester.

The ONS has house prices in the area averaging at £250,000 and rent at £1,310—there’s no doubt the Manchester housing market is on the rise, but there are plenty of places left that offer cheap houses for sale in Manchester and the surrounding areas. 

Let’s take a closer look at the northern powerhouse to explore its 10 cheapest places to live in 2025 and beyond.

Table of Contents

• What is Manchester like to live in?

• Manchester's top 10 most affordable areas

• Make the move to Manchester

What is Manchester like to live in? 

Manchester is a relatively sprawling place—it’s the third-most densely populated city in England after London and Birmingham, but its transport links make it super easy to get around.

The rebranded Bee Network, which includes buses, trams, walkways and cycle lanes, is Manchester’s answer to a London-style transport system with tap-on, tap-off payments. Commuter rail links will eventually be incorporated into the network, too, with the Stalybridge-Victoria and Glossop-Piccadilly lines slated for 2025/26 and a further eight lines and 64 stations to follow by 2028.

Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, aims to put Manchester on the international map with these grand plans:

The city is home to some of the country’s most recognisable gig venues, football stadia and architecture, as well as some of the hottest new restaurants and bars, so it’s an endlessly entertaining and equally eye-opening place to live. 

Naturally, every district is different, from the schools and nurseries to the crime rates and rental rates, so we’ll always recommend doing your research (well, that’s why you’re here, right?). 

Let’s take our magnifying glass to the map and find out more about the cheapest places to live in Manchester—the data for average house prices here has been taken from Rightmove:

Manchester's Top 10 Most Affordable Areas

1. Newton Heath

• Location: M40

• Distance to city centre: Approx. 3.8 miles (16 minutes by car; 31 minutes by public transport)

• Average house price: £167,043

• Annual change: -3%

With good links to the city via the tram and rail stations and some local parks, schools and supermarkets to choose from, Newton Heath tops the list of the most affordable places to live in Manchester. Rightmove’s data from the past year brings it in at just over £167,000 per house on average, which is quite significantly below the city’s average.

2. Harpurhey

• Location: M9

• Distance to city centre: Approx. 2.3 miles (11 minutes by car; 21 minutes by public transport)

• Average house price: £172,473

• Annual change: +30% 

The 30% year-on-year increase in average house prices in Harpurhey is a big indication of its rising popularity with first-time buyers and young professionals. The unfortunate fact is that it has one of the highest crime rates in the Manchester area and, indeed, the country at 302.1 crimes per 1,000 people, so it’s worth bearing that in mind during your research.

3. Openshaw

• Location: M11

• Distance to city centre: Approx. 3.1 miles (14 minutes by car; 35 minutes by public transport)

• Average house price: £176,840

• Annual change: -6%

To the east of the city is the small suburb of Openshaw, which isn’t too much of a stone’s throw from Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium and campus. The brand-new Co-op Live arena is nearby, too, so the average house price of almost £177,000 could well rise in the coming years. It’s an affordable place to live with good transport links, but some deprivation and low-level crime to consider.

4. Belle Vue

• Location: M4, M12 and M18

• Distance to city centre: Approx. 3.3 miles (17 minutes by car; 44 minutes by public transport)

• Average house price: £184,332

• Annual change: -9%

Belle Vue is next up with an average house price of over £184,000 over the past year, according to Rightmove data. The area’s housing stock is mostly made up of old, terraced homes of the Victorian and Edwardian ilk, plus some post-war semi-detached homes that tend to sell for around the £250,000 mark. With good links to the city and a range of ‘Good’ and ‘Outstanding’ schools to choose from, it’s certainly a part of Manchester to keep an eye on.

5. Gorton

• Location: M12 and M18

• Distance to city centre: Approx. 4.1 miles (20 minutes by car; 40 minutes by public transport)

• Average house price: £187,932

• Annual change: -10%

Next up is Gorton, which is only a short trip away from both Manchester city centre and the nearby town of Ashton-under-Lyne. It’s surprising that Gorton’s average house prices have fallen by as much as 10% in the past year, given how much regeneration work has gone (and is going) into the area. A new public square has just opened and there are more plans to make the area more attractive:

“The longer-term regeneration proposals for this part of Gorton include hundreds of new mixed tenure homes housing, including significant affordable homes, that will be built on Council-owned land overlooking the new square.”

• Manchester City Council

6. Moston

• Location: M9 and M40

• Distance to city centre: Approx. 3.8 miles (14 minutes by car; 34 minutes by public transport)

• Average house price: £192,318

• Annual change: +7%

Contrary to many other parts of Manchester, house prices in Moston are actually on the rise to the tune of 7% in the past year. The area was listed in the Manchester Evening News as one of the “ideal places for first-time buyers to get a foot on the property ladder” back in 2023. Nextdoor.co.uk has New Moston down as a “peaceful” and “welcoming” place with a strong community spirit, which is unsurprising as 65% of the residents there are homeowners.

7. Beswick

• Location: M11 and M40

• Distance to city centre: Approx. 2.3 miles (12 minutes by car; 26 minutes by public transport)

• Average house price: £203,237

• Annual change: 0%

With the likes of Philips Park on the doorstep, a leisure centre nearby and Manchester City just up the road, residents of Beswick can enjoy more than relatively cheap house prices. It’s an area that’s not without its difficulties, with a crime rate of 266.3, together with Ancoats, but ongoing regeneration plans promise to contribute to a slowly improving reputation.

8. Longsight

• Location: M12, M13 and M14

• Distance to city centre: Approx. 3.1 miles (19 minutes by car; 35 minutes by public transport)

• Average house price: £204,711

• Annual change: -16%

Located to the southeast of the city centre, Longsight has seen houses become significantly more affordable over the past year, according to Rightmove data, but the average prices still tipped over the £200,000 mark. It’s pretty well situated for commuting, but the A6 and the A34 can get heavily congested at peak times. There’s a lovely market in Longsight and a range of amenities, from traditional pubs to local healthcare centres, to help anyone feel at home.

Read more: Is Manchester a Good Place to Live?

9. Cheetham Hill

• Location: M8

• Distance to city centre: Approx. 1 mile (5 minutes by car; 15 minutes by public transport)

• Average house price: £208,326

• Annual change: +6%

Head to the north of the city and you’ll get to the Cheetham Hill and Strangeways area, where house-hunters have been looking at an average of closer to £210,000 for a Manchester property. A recent police report revealed a 50% drop in the crime rate in the area, which also contributed to a decline in the city’s crime rate on the whole. It’s very close to the city centre, of course, so the NOMA district with its stellar restaurants, the AO Arena with its international acts and the National Football Museum with its sporting memorabilia are all a short walk away.

10. Moss Side

• Location: M14

• Distance to city centre: Approx. 2.6 miles (17 minutes by car; 26 minutes by public transport)

• Average house price: £211,402

• Annual change: +6%

Moss Side has battled against a bad rep for years, but it actually only just sneaks onto the list of the 10 most affordable places to live in Manchester. An average house price of just over £211,000 has been pushed northwards thanks to the likes of new housing developments and some ‘Outstanding’ primary schools. It’s one to watch, given the overall rise of Manchester as a city.

Make the move to Manchester

With asking prices at a five-year high according to the June 2025 edition of the Rightmove House Price Index, it can feel like more and more properties are getting out of reach for the regular buyer, but it’s not the case in every part of the UK. 

These Manchester districts offer some ideal options for those wanting to be a part of one of the fastest-growing, most exciting and characterful cities in the country.

If you’re thinking about making the move, you can find out more about the Manchester housing market in our guides here: