Cost of living comparison calculator
Compare your take-home pay against typical living costs in different UK cities. See how far your salary goes if you relocated, how much you would need to earn to maintain your current lifestyle, and how all major UK cities stack up side by side.
The salary number in a job offer matters less than the disposable income it leaves you with after housing costs. A 20% pay rise that comes with a 40% increase in rent leaves you worse off. Always convert a job offer to a disposable income comparison before accepting or rejecting it. This calculator does that work for you.
Housing dominates the comparison
In most UK city comparisons, housing costs account for 60 to 80% of the total cost of living difference. Groceries, transport and leisure vary less dramatically between cities than rent or mortgage costs do.
London vs everywhere else
London costs are typically 30 to 60% higher than most other UK cities depending on housing type. But London salaries for equivalent roles are often 15 to 25% higher. The gap between salary premium and cost premium is what matters.
What the figures do not include
These are typical costs for a single person. They do not account for partner income, children, specific commuting patterns, existing debts or personal spending habits. Use them as a starting point, not a definitive answer.
Remote work changes the maths
If a job offer allows remote work from a cheaper city while paying a London salary, the disposable income gain can be very significant. This calculator helps you quantify exactly how much better or worse off you would be in that scenario.
Please note: All cost of living figures are estimated typical monthly costs for a single adult in each city, based on 2024/25 data. Housing costs are median rental or mortgage figures for each city and vary significantly by neighbourhood and property type. Figures are updated periodically but will not reflect very recent market changes. Use these comparisons as indicative guidance only, not as precise financial projections. This is not financial advice.
What does the cost of living calculator do?
The cost of living calculator helps you understand your baseline monthly essential expenditure — the minimum you need to spend each month to maintain your current lifestyle. This figure is the foundation for emergency fund planning (three months of cost of living), financial resilience assessment, and identifying what is genuinely discretionary versus essential.
How to use this calculator
Housing: Rent or mortgage payment, including any service charge or ground rent.
Bills and utilities: Gas, electricity, water, council tax, broadband, phone.
Food: Weekly grocery spend multiplied by 4.3 (average weeks per month).
Transport: Car payments, insurance, fuel or public transport costs.
Insurance: Buildings and contents, life, income protection, health.
Subscriptions: Streaming services, gym, software, any regular subscription.
Childcare: Any regular childcare costs.
Reading the result: The calculator shows your monthly essential costs, annual total, and the recommended emergency fund size (three months of essential costs). Compare the total to your take-home pay to understand what proportion of income is committed to essentials versus genuinely available for savings and discretionary spending.
Why knowing your cost of living matters
The emergency fund calculation requires knowing your monthly essential costs. If you don’t know the number precisely, you cannot build to the right target. Similarly, the question “how long could I manage if I lost my income tomorrow?” cannot be answered without knowing what you spend each month.
The information on this site is for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing on Be More Peter constitutes financial advice, and nothing should be treated as such. The calculators, articles and tools on this site are designed to help you understand financial concepts and run indicative numbers - they are not a substitute for professional advice tailored to your specific circumstances. Before making any financial decision - including decisions about mortgages, pensions, investments, savings or insurance — you should seek independent financial advice from a qualified adviser who is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Calculator results are estimates based on the information you enter and the assumptions built into the tool. They are illustrative only and should not be relied upon as accurate projections. Rates, thresholds and rules change regularly - always verify figures with an appropriate professional or official source before acting on them. Be More Peter is not authorised or regulated by the FCA. The content on this site does not constitute a financial promotion.
Related tools and posts
- Monthly budget calculator — full budget including discretionary spending
- Emergency fund post — how to use this figure
- Financial organisation quiz — your resilience score