Question 1

What is the cost of living in the UK?

Accepted Answer

The average single-person monthly cost across the 348 UK areas we cover is £1,461. That covers one-bed rent, Band D council tax with the single-occupier discount, energy, water, £220 groceries and a transport estimate. Try our cost of living calculator for a personalised figure.

Question 2

What is the cheapest place to live in the UK?

Accepted Answer

Dumfries and Galloway is the cheapest UK area on our data at around £1,001/month for a single person. Scottish Borders (£1,051) and Hartlepool (£1,056) sit close behind. See the cheapest places ranking for the full list.

Question 3

What is the most expensive place to live in the UK?

Accepted Answer

Kensington and Chelsea is the most expensive UK area at around £3,249/month for a single person. Westminster (£3,122) and Islington (£2,797) sit close behind. See the most expensive places ranking for the full list.

Question 4

Where is the best value place to live in the UK?

Accepted Answer

Dumfries and Galloway tops our best-value ranking. Best value here means where average local earnings stretch furthest against rent and council tax, with just 27.7% of average earnings going to essential housing costs. See the best value ranking for the full list.

Question 5

Is £2,000 a month enough to live in the UK?

Accepted Answer

320 of the 348 UK areas we cover have single-person monthly costs below £2,000, including examples like Dumfries and Galloway at £1,001 and Scottish Borders at £1,051. That figure covers rent, council tax, energy, water, groceries and transport, but not any discretionary spending. See the cheapest places ranking for the full list.

Question 6

Where is the driest place to live in the UK?

Accepted Answer

Castle Point is the driest UK area on our data with just 544mm of rain a year, based on Met Office 30-year averages. See the driest places ranking for the full list.

Question 7

Where is the safest place to live in the UK?

Accepted Answer

Shetland Islands has the lowest recorded crime rate of the UK areas we cover, at 180 crimes per 10,000 people. See the safest places ranking for the full list.

Question 8

How do you calculate the cost of living?

Accepted Answer

We use official government data: ONS, HM Land Registry, MHCLG, Ofgem, Water UK, the Met Office and police recorded crime. That covers rent, earnings, house prices, council tax, energy bills, water, climate and crime. See the about page for the full methodology.

The real cost of living across the UK

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