UK Cost of Living Calculator
The starting planning budget totals £10,126 a year on essential bills, food and fuel — before rent or mortgage. See what yours adds up to.
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Combine seven editable categories: water, energy, council tax, broadband, mobile, food and fuel. These are planning inputs; the dated energy reference and other allowances are explained below. Replace defaults with annual statements and quotes.
City pages apply editorial multipliers. They are illustrations, not verified local averages. For a move, compare actual housing costs and after-tax pay as well.
Annual Cost of Living — UK
Edit any figure to match your own household. Defaults are editable planning inputs.
Annual water + sewerage bill · UK avg £639
Combined gas & electricity per year · UK avg £1,723
Annual band D (or your band) · UK avg £2,280
Yearly home internet cost · UK avg £384
Annual phone contract cost · UK avg £240
Yearly supermarket spend · UK avg £3,640
Petrol, season ticket or both · UK avg £1,220
Total annual cost of living
£10,126
£844 / month
£195 / week
Where the money goes
| Category | Annual | Monthly | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | £639 | £53 | 6% |
| Energy (gas + electric) | £1,723 | £144 | 17% |
| Council Tax (Band D) | £2,280 | £190 | 23% |
| Broadband | £384 | £32 | 4% |
| Mobile | £240 | £20 | 2% |
| Food & groceries | £3,640 | £303 | 36% |
| Fuel / transport | £1,220 | £102 | 12% |
What this means for your household budget
Food, council tax, energy and transport make up most of this starting scenario. Your own household shares may differ. Use actual bills to find the largest controllable costs.
Compare supplier renewal quotes, contract exit fees and your actual usage. Add rent, childcare, insurance and debt in the Budget Planner to get a fuller picture.
Pick your city
Select a city to preview the illustrative annual essentials, then jump straight to the full city breakdown. Press Enter to open the city page.
Based on 2026/27 starting budgets with London-specific multipliers for water, energy, council tax, food and fuel. Excludes rent and mortgage.
Cost of Living by City
Pick a city to explore editorial category multipliers and replace the assumptions with actual bills.
UK cost of living: 2026/27 at a glance
These are editable household budget scenarios, with different reference periods and assumptions. The input table above shows the multipliers; no statistical city ranking or confidence interval has been established.
Annual budget scenarios by city
| City | Total essentials / yr |
|---|---|
| London | £10,513 |
| Manchester | £10,179 |
| Birmingham | £10,117 |
| Edinburgh | £10,437 |
| Bristol | £10,514 |
| Starting budget | £10,126 |
Excludes rent / mortgage and childcare. Uses a 2-adult planning budget with one car and editorial city multipliers, not measured local price indices.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's Next?
Why is my water bill so high?
Separate tariff changes from readings, usage and possible leaks.
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