Cost of living in the UK: Calculator to compare cities

Use our dedicated cost of living calculator to find out how much you need in your bank account to rent in cities around the UK. The calculator will also show you the salary you’d need in each city to afford the rent on a 1-bedroom flat – and how this compares to the average annual salary.

How does our calculator work?

Enter two cities you want to compare the cost of living between. The calculator will show how much more or less expensive the second city is compared to the first as a percentage.

It also gives a more detailed breakdown below so you can understand the costs. This includes the estimated cost of living in each city including rent and the rent for a 1-bedroom flat in each city.

To find out the cost of living without rent – you can simply subtract the rent price from the total cost of living. This cost of living figure includes monthly outgoings such as groceries, bills and entertainment, plus saving 20% of your income.

Salary needed to live in each city

This calculator also includes a handy indication of the yearly salary you would need to afford the cost of living in each city.

This accounts for rent, living costs, savings and pension contributions, so you can assess whether you could comfortably afford to live in that city with the salary you have in mind.

How should I interpret the results?

The cost of living will vary depending on your lifestyle and circumstances so is not an absolute figure – but it acts as a guide for a single person living and renting in a major UK city.

What is included in the ‘cost of living’?

To give an overall picture of the cost of living, we took the total given in each city for bills, groceries and other regular outgoings, added 20% of income for savings, and then added rent for a 1-bedroom flat in the area.

Why does the cost of living vary between cities?

Rent is a major factor in the cost of living and this tends to be quite different across cities, which can account for a lot of differences. Other costs will also vary – with entertainment and food in London, for example, generally more expensive than a city in the north of the UK.

Click here for more research. For all media enquiries, please contact:

Matt Mckenna
UK communications manager
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Written by

Chris Lilly

Head of publishing

Chris Lilly is Head of publishing at finder.com. He's a specialist in personal finance, from day-to-day banking to investing to borrowing, and is passionate about helping UK consumers make informed decisions about their money. In his spare time Chris likes forcing his kids to exercise more. See full bio

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Chris has written 601 Finder guides across topics including:

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Co-written by

Sophie Barber

Author

Sophie Barber is a content marketing manager for Finder in the UK after previously working as a content manager at a digital marketing agency. She has over 5 years experience in writing and publishing clear, concise and informative online articles for a variety of websites. See full bio

Sophie's expertise

Sophie has written 84 Finder guides across topics including:

• Personal finance trends and statistics
• Cost of living and money saving tips