Should I move to Manchester from London?

So I guess if salary is not going to be an issue Manchester could offer a cheaper living.

Not into nights out and drinking :beers: because though not practicing but still Muslim :wink:

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I guess if we move, when sheā€™s older she can decide wherever in the world she wants to go tbh. She is privileged to inherit multiple nationalities

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Well for me it was that but generally I wasnā€™t sure what exactly is cheaper in Manchester than London. Like I said, rent is but itā€™s not seemingly much less. I currently pay Ā£556 for my rent including tax and water so I donā€™t really get much more moving out of London, other than less opportunities in my field and less salary.

I agree if you are paying a reasonable amount like yours itā€™s probably not going to make any difference but I guess most people with a small family like me are in 2-bed house/flat and I donā€™t think a good place would be less than 1400 to 1500pcm plus tax and bills. Initial searches for comparable properties in Manchester seem to be at least 400 to 500 pounds cheaper.

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Seems like you have your answer yourself then! :grin:

Trying really hard to convince myself :joy: love London :heart:

I think if youā€™re trying to convince yourself then youā€™re going to miss London when you move, like everyone I know did!

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Haha thatā€™s funny!! I work for GFirst ELP, the local enterprise partnership so its great I get involved in all sorts of stuff happening in Gloucs, like the new bus station, Blackfriars re-development etc. Best job Iā€™ve ever had. Big Gloucester Rugby fan too!

Iā€™ve lived in Manchester 4 years and itā€™s my second home! London is a lot more similar to Singapore, but itā€™s the people in Manchester that have truly made such a difference for me. Like @Dannytc says you canā€™t beat the community spirit there!

Itā€™s a bit quieter than London but since it is the ā€œpowerhouse of the Northā€ (not my phrase) I think it wouldnā€™t get as boring as a smaller town would do. I lived near Oxford Rd this year and it was amazing for convenience and saved so much for transport. I was in Salford or on the edge of it for cheaper rent before.

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What is it that you think youā€™d miss about London? If you can answer that then it would be easier to tell you how Manchester compares with respect to your favourite things about London. And since youā€™ve mentioned that your salary would be the same as you have now (or even Ā£10000 higher), you would definitely save on accomodation in Manchester compared with London!

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Comparing Manchester and London is like comparing apples and oranges. Manchester itself is condensed into about 3 square miles, London is a vast metropolis.

You can quickly see everything in Manchester if you are not adventurous as well as not leaving the confines of the city. Manchester has a thriving night scene, museums and theatres as well as excellent shopping (the Trafford Centre is nearby too). You have Snowdonia, the Peak District and the Lake District on your doorstep. Yorkshire is close with its unique take on life. London is 2 hours south and Edinburgh is 3 hours north. The sea isnā€™t that far away like Lytham St Annes (dare I say Blackpool) or on the other coast Whitby, Scarborough etc.

The poem written after the Manchester bombing really sums up the spirit of the people of Manchester.

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If I am honest I donā€™t know the answer.

In past 35 years (Since birth) I have lived in few amazing cities - Dubai (UAE, born and Schooling) Lahore (Pakistan, High School and Collage) Seattle (USA, More Studies) and then London for past 15 years (minus a couple years travelling etc) .I miss Dubai and Lahore too but London is where I spent most of my adult life so lot of emotional attachment I guess. But now after going over all this making me realise Itā€™s probably time to move on or settle down :sweat_smile:

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Yeah to me it sounds more like youā€™re worried about missing ā€œhomeā€, rather than you think Manchester wouldnā€™t be a suitable place to move to. The two cities really arenā€™t far apart though, so youā€™d easily be able to visit London (or even move back if it turned out you really missed it, since you seem to have good job prospects).

Iā€™d go to Brusselsā€¦ no particular reason

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Speaking as a Jock, North England is way better than the South England. Iā€™d pick Madchester over London.

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Update:

Thanks everyone for your input. Finally decided to give Manchester a go after the offer was improved a bit more with some added perks and allowances.

I am going to start on 2nd of Jan 2019 and will be moving family there at the start of February.

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Oh, Iā€™m a bit late.

Anyway yeah itā€™s alright here.

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Too late, but i was going to say- I grew up in London and was a proper London girl through and through, but I moved to Manchester last year for work and i absolutely LOVED it. In my opinion it offers a much better quality of life than London due to the fact it is cheaper, much smaller and 100x less stressful to get around, people are friendlier, theres an abundance of amazing things to do and see (but none of them break the bank or take 1.5 hours to get to), and the suburbs are an excellent place to raise a family with loads of green areas & fantastic schools. You wont regret it I assure you, good luck!

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Thanks - Itā€™s actually really good to hear from someone who has already done what I am about to do. Very encouraging words.

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Welcome to Manchester :raised_hands:t3::fire: youā€™ll love it here!! People are just lovely here and everything is so near

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