Cost of living in the UK
The cost of living in the UK varies depending on which area you live in. Generally, London is the most expensive place in the UK. House prices and accommodation costs are also more expensive in the South of England than the North of England. In large cities such as Leeds and Birmingham costs are relatively the same.
As costs vary so much, it may be useful to compare various sources such as workgateways, UK working holiday and NRIOL to get an overall summary of approximately how much it costs to live in the UK. There are also a number of cost of living calculators available such as EasyExpat and Numbeo.
If you'd like to compare costs using a currency other than sterling (GBP) then use this online currency converter.
Budgeting
The figures below are taken from a 2011 report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. The report provides the ‘Minimum Income Standard' (MIS) for the UK. The MIS is based on what members of the public think people need to achieve a socially acceptable standard of living in the UK. It takes into consideration both changes in prices and changes in norms about what people consider to be a socially acceptable standard of living. For the full report see the Joseph Rowntree Foundation website.
The 2011 figures reflect price increases and the effect of changing tax and benefit rates.
| Family type
| Single working-age person | Couple + 2 children | Lone parent
|
| Weekly budget excluding rent/childcare | £184.68 | £424.65 | £246.37 |
| Percentage inflation rise since 2010 | 5.3% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Earnings calculation |
|
|
|
| Weekly budget including rent and childcare | £240.89 | £705.63 | £466.08 |
| Annual earnings required | £15,000 | £36,800** | £18,243 |
| Hourly wage requirement | £7.67 | £9.41** | £9.33 |
*Excluding council tax.
**If both members of couple work full time. A single-earner couple without childcare would need £31,584, but this would require a wage of £16.15 an hour.
Utilities
These include gas, electricity, water, council tax and the telephone if there is a landline. Check your contract to see if any of these are included in the rent.
The cost of gas and electricity in the UK varies from company to company. Suppliers of gas and electricity are very competitive and you may be able to save a considerable amount of money by changing your gas and electricity supplier. There are a number of websites which allow you to compare prices. These include USwitch, Switch2Save, The Energy Shop and UKPower.
Figures based on an average family home in the UK.
| Utility Bill | Annual Amount | Monthly Amount | Weekly Amount |
| Gas | £766 | £63.83 | £14.73 |
| Electricity | £832 | £69.33 | £16 |
| Water | £471 | £39.25 | £9.06 |
| Council Tax | £1439 | £119.92 | £27.67 |
Please note that these are only approximations and the costs will vary depending on which area of the country you live in, the size of your house and the different appliances you use and to what degree.
Television (TV) licence – You must have a television licence in the UK if you watch live television. The current cost of the licence is £145.50 per year (as at June 2011) for a colour television and £49 per year for a black and white television. Generally, one licence is needed per individual house (not per person) and must be renewed anually. A licence is also needed if you watch live TV on a laptop. If you leave the country you can claim back a portion of the fee depending on the length of time remaining on the licence. See the TV licensing website for more detailed information.
Travel costs
It is often cheaper to buy a bus pass, travel card or railcard when travelling in the UK. Please look at the public transport section for more information.
Non-essential costs
Other expenses to consider might be mobile phone costs, buying papers and magazines, and going out. Cigarettes are very expensive in the UK at around £7.50 for a pack of 20. Eating out can also be expensive where a meal for two can cost anything from £10 to over £100.
(Material courtesy of the University of Leeds International Office)
Email a friend