Real monthly costs for housing, food, transport, bills and more. Find out what it actually costs to live in the UK — and how your city stacks up.
Based on Office for National Statistics (ONS) data and current market rates, here are the typical monthly costs for a single adult living in the UK in 2025. These figures represent the national average; costs vary significantly by region.
Excluding housing: £1,800 – £2,500/month
Including average rent (outside London): £3,200 – £3,900/month
Including London rent: £4,000 – £4,700/month
These are averages. Your actual costs will depend on your lifestyle, location, and household size.
Enter your details below to estimate your personal monthly budget and see how your costs compare to UK averages.
Costs vary enormously across the UK. Here is how five major cities compare for a single person renting alone, covering key monthly expenses:
| Expense | London | Bristol | Manchester | Birmingham | Leeds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rent (1-bed) | £2,200 | £1,350 | £1,100 | £950 | £1,000 |
| Food / groceries | £340 | £300 | £270 | £260 | £265 |
| Transport | £160 (TfL) | £100 | £90 | £85 | £90 |
| Energy bills | £140 | £130 | £125 | £120 | £122 |
| Council tax | £170 | £195 | £180 | £160 | £175 |
| Internet/mobile | £55 | £50 | £48 | £48 | £48 |
| Entertainment | £150 | £110 | £100 | £90 | £95 |
| Total (incl. rent) | £3,215 | £2,235 | £1,913 | £1,713 | £1,795 |
The UK experienced a severe cost of living crisis between 2022 and 2024. Here is how key costs shifted over that period and where they stand today.
The Ofgem energy price cap rose dramatically in 2022, pushing average annual energy bills from around £1,300 to a peak of £3,549 in Q1 2023. Government support through the Energy Price Guarantee capped household bills at £2,500 for most of 2023. By 2025, the cap has settled around £1,560 annually (£130/month), bringing some relief — though still notably above pre-crisis levels.
Energy bills in 2025 are roughly 20% above 2021 levels in real terms after government support.
UK grocery prices rose by approximately 25% in total between early 2022 and mid-2024 — the worst food inflation in 45 years. Staples such as bread, dairy, eggs and vegetables were among the hardest hit. By 2025, food price inflation has slowed to around 2-3% annually, but supermarket bills remain substantially higher than 2021 in cash terms. Switching to own-brand products can save £50-100 per month for a typical household.
Private rents surged across the UK from 2022 onward, driven by low stock and high demand. According to the ONS, UK average private rents increased by 9.1% in the year to January 2025. London rents rose by around 10.4% in the same period. New rental listings now command an average of £1,400/month nationally, with many UK cities seeing record high asking rents.
After the Bank of England's base rate rose from 0.1% in December 2021 to 5.25% by August 2023, mortgage costs soared. A typical 2-year fixed deal that cost around £700/month in 2021 is now £1,100-1,200/month for the same property on a new fix. By early 2026, the base rate has been cut to around 4.5%, offering modest relief for new fixes.
| Category | 2021 | 2023 (peak) | 2025 | % change 2021-2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy (annual) | £1,300 | £3,549 | £1,560 | +20% |
| Food (monthly) | £224 | £310 | £280 | +25% |
| Rent (national avg) | £1,061 | £1,278 | £1,400 | +32% |
| Mortgage (typical) | £700 | £1,250 | £1,100 | +57% |
| Council tax | £157 | £175 | £180 | +15% |
How does the UK compare to living costs across Europe? The table below uses Numbeo data adjusted for 2025, comparing a single person's monthly costs including rent in a city centre 1-bedroom apartment.
| City | Country | Monthly total (1 person) | vs. London |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | UK | £3,200 | — |
| Paris | France | £3,050 | -5% |
| Amsterdam | Netherlands | £2,900 | -9% |
| Berlin | Germany | £2,400 | -25% |
| Manchester | UK | £1,900 | -41% |
| Madrid | Spain | £1,850 | -42% |
| Lisbon | Portugal | £1,700 | -47% |
| Warsaw | Poland | £1,100 | -66% |
| Zurich | Switzerland | £4,500 | +41% |
UK cities outside London are competitive with many Western European destinations. London, however, ranks among the five most expensive cities in the world for renters.
The ONS Living Costs and Food Survey tracks what UK households actually spend each week. Here is how a typical two-adult household distributes spending monthly in 2025:
| Category | Monthly spend | % of budget |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent or mortgage + bills) | £1,600 | 42% |
| Food & non-alcoholic drinks | £480 | 13% |
| Transport | £440 | 12% |
| Recreation & culture | £300 | 8% |
| Clothing & footwear | £100 | 3% |
| Restaurants & hotels | £220 | 6% |
| Health | £80 | 2% |
| Communication (phone/internet) | £80 | 2% |
| Household goods & services | £200 | 5% |
| Other (personal care, misc) | £300 | 8% |
| Total | £3,800 | 100% |
A single person living in the UK needs approximately £1,800 to £2,500 per month excluding housing. Including rent, total costs range from £2,200 in cheaper areas to £4,000+ in London. The national average for a single person renting a one-bedroom flat is around £3,000-3,500/month for all costs combined.
These figures come from the ONS Living Costs and Food Survey, Numbeo, and current market data as of early 2026.
London is roughly 50-80% more expensive than the UK average when factoring in rent. Average London rent for a one-bedroom flat is around £2,200/month compared to £1,400 nationally. Day-to-day costs such as food, transport and entertainment are also 20-30% higher in London than the UK average.
If you exclude rent, London is still around 25% more expensive for everyday living than cities like Manchester, Birmingham or Leeds.
The average UK adult spends approximately £280 per month on food, covering both groceries and eating out. This breaks down to roughly £200-220 on supermarket shopping and £60-80 on meals and takeaways.
You can reduce this to around £180-200/month by meal planning, shopping at Aldi or Lidl, using loyalty schemes, and buying own-brand products. Conversely, regular dining out or premium supermarket shopping can push costs to £350-400/month.
UK living costs rose significantly between 2022 and 2025. Key changes:
Overall, the ONS estimates that cumulative inflation between January 2022 and January 2025 was around 22%, meaning the average basket of goods and services costs 22% more in cash terms.
A couple in the UK outside London typically needs £3,500 to £5,000 per month in total, covering:
In London, expect £5,500 to £8,000 or more for a couple living comfortably.
The UK sits in the upper-middle tier for European cost of living. It is cheaper than Switzerland, Norway and Iceland but more expensive than Spain, Portugal, Poland and most Eastern European countries.
Germany and France are broadly comparable to the UK average. London rivals Paris as one of the most expensive European capital cities. Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds are significantly cheaper than London and compare favourably with major German cities on a like-for-like basis.
The biggest savings typically come from housing (taking in a lodger, moving to a cheaper area, or house-sharing) and food (meal planning, discount supermarkets, reducing food waste). Other high-impact moves include: