

Manchester vs Worcester
$334/mo less in Worcester
ManchesterWorcesterAbout 43 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Worcester costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,436/mo in Worcester. $2,770/mo in Manchester. −$4,008 a year.
Manchester
$2,770
left each month
Worcester
$2,436
−$334 vs Manchester
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 240 households moved Manchester → Worcester (avg AGI $70,004). 348 went the other way. The whole move →
−$334 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Manchester | Worcester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $8,417 | $8,323 | −$93 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,797 | $2,167 | +$370 |
| Take-home pay | $6,620 | $6,156 | −$464 |
| Rent | $1,796 | $1,745 | −$51 |
| Getting around | $551 | $524 | −$27 |
| Groceries | $415 | $400 | −$15 |
| Healthcare | $467 | $450 | −$17 |
| Utilities | $259 | $250 | −$9 |
| Everything else | $363 | $350 | −$13 |
| Left over | $2,770 | $2,436 | −$334 |
Salary to match Manchester
$106,000
Gross pay in Worcester that leaves the same amount as $101,000 in Manchester.
Tax difference
−$4,774
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 21.3% in Manchester, 26.0% in Worcester.
More about Worcester
Manchester, NH in full
No state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $2,138 and 187 sunny days; commutes average 27 minutes.
Worcester, MA in full
A flat 5% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $2,077 and 186 sunny days; commutes average 30 minutes.
The other way
Start in Worcester.
Worcester → Manchester →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Worcester than Manchester?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Worcester leaves about $334 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,796 in Manchester and $1,745 in Worcester.
Does Worcester have state income tax?
Worcester is in Massachusetts, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Manchester to Worcester?
The paycheck is taxed in Massachusetts. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Manchester and Worcester changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.