Initially finding it difficult for me to narrow down on accommodation options, I got help from a fellow student at the University of Manchester.
He asked me a few questions about budget, washroom preference, room size, etc. Being a master's student meant that I got only one year to network and hence wanted to live in a shared apartment or student accommodation rather than a studio which gave me room for socialising. My budget was about 600-800GBP which is quite premium for a single person in Manchester city, but I found it to be expensive. Compared to cities like London, Brighton and a few others, Manchester city is very economical and student-friendly.
My fellow student suggested that IQ Wilmslow is one of the good options and the location is just above several supermarkets which makes it very convenient for daily shopping. It is hardly a 15 mins walk to University on Oxford Road and a 4 mins cycle down the road. I also found Ropemaker to be even better in terms of pricing and services.
Ropemaker even offers alternate week common area cleaning which any of the IQ Properties do not provide. IQ properties can be uneconomical in terms of value for money. I pay 191GBP (Silver EnSuit Plus) per week and my friend right across the street in Ropemaker pays about 150GBP per week for a room similar in size.
You can always try to get a private house with a few people. You will be able to find these people on the WhatsApp groups and Facebook mostly. Overall Manchester is very good in terms of student accommodation availability.
