Mourinho, 53, has been living in the city's Lowry Hotel since being appointed United manager in the summer.
Yet the Portuguese claims he is loath to venture out because of the persistent hordes of photographers.
"I just want to cross the bridge and go to a restaurant. I can't, so it's really bad," Mourinho told Sky Sports.
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United have had an indifferent start since Mourinho took charge.
They are seventh in the Premier League table, six points behind leaders Manchester City, and were beaten 4-0 by Mourinho's former club Chelsea on Sunday.
Mourinho - reportedly earning more than £10m a year - is searching for an apartment but hinted that he is missing his family, who live in London.
"For me it's a bit of a disaster because I want sometimes to walk a little bit and I can't," he added before Wednesday's EFL fourth round tie with Man City at Old Trafford.
"The reality is that my daughter will be 20 next week, my son will be 17 in a couple of months. They are very stable.
"University in London. Football in London. Friends. So they are in an age where they can't chase me like they did before. So for the first time the family lives in a different way."
Jose Mourinho says living alone in Manchester has become a "bit of a disaster" and is beginning to tire of photographers camped outside his hotel.