City comparison
Manchester, NH is about 20 miles (30 km) from Nashua, NH in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 21 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Manchester, NH to Nashua, NH takes about 2 min, covering roughly 20 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Manchester has a population of 115,037, vs 90,943 in Nashua — about 1.3× larger by population. By land area, Manchester covers about 33 sq mi vs 31 sq mi for Nashua.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Manchester | Nashua | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,362/mo | $1,597/mo | 17.3% higher in Nashua |
| Median home value | $304,700 | $344,900 | 13.2% higher in Nashua |
| Median household income | $74,040 | $88,766 | 19.9% higher in Nashua |
| Groceries index | 98.0 | 98.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 130.5 | 130.5 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 103.0 | 103.0 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 103.8 | 103.8 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Manchester, you'd need $100,607 in Nashua to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Manchester, NH is about 0.6% cheaper overall than Nashua, NH, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Manchester, you'd need about $80,486 in Nashua to keep the same standard of living.