Cost #25/31 · Cost of living · Europe · Eurostat PLI 2024
🇬🇧 Cost of living in United Kingdom
United Kingdom runs pricier than most of the EU-27 across rent, groceries and transport - see where the gap is widest and how far local income actually stretches.
- Cost rank · cheapest = #1 of 31
- #25
United Kingdom's livability score
Livability score
22/100
United Kingdom, weighted across 1 of 8 tracked dimensions
A cost-and-income composite (price-level indices plus purchasing power), not an overall quality-of-life judgment, it does not weigh climate, safety, culture, or healthcare outcomes.
- Purchasing power N/A N/A
Median net income adjusted for local cost level
- Overall cost F 129
Eurostat overall price level (EU27=100)
- Rent N/A N/A
Housing / rent price level (EU27=100)
- Groceries N/A N/A
Food and non-alcoholic beverages (EU27=100)
- Healthcare N/A N/A
Healthcare price level (EU27=100)
- Transport N/A N/A
Transport price level (EU27=100)
- Utilities N/A N/A
Electricity / gas / water (EU27=100)
- Restaurants N/A N/A
Restaurants and hotels (EU27=100)
United Kingdom: large 2024 Eurostat move
Overall cost index moved +6.2 vs the 2023 archive - among the larger European shifts this release.
- Overall cost index 123 129 2023 → 2024
Overall cost index rose from 123 to 129 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.
United Kingdom in the 120+ cost band
On the EU-27 = 100 scale, United Kingdom's overall index (129) sits in the 120+ band with 9 other published countries. The Europe-wide band mix lives on the rankings hub, not repeated here.
Current release coverage
The overall price level is available; the detail series is not.
Eurostat’s current record for United Kingdom reports the all-items price-level index. It does not include the category breakdown or median-income series used elsewhere in this registry, so this page keeps those measures absent instead of estimating them.
- Overall cost index
- 129
- Cost rank
- #25
EU-27 = 100
of 31, cheapest first
United Kingdom in the European cost range
The index dial shows the one measure available in this release against the EU-27 = 100 benchmark.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom vs EU-27 = 100
The benchmark tick marks the EU average; this is a price-level comparison, not a household budget.
Cities in United Kingdom
National averages hide the big-city premium. See real monthly rent, groceries and transit costs for United Kingdom's cities.
Eurostat PLI Basket · similar price levels and purchasing power
Two peer sets for United Kingdom: nearest overall price-level indices (EU-27 = 100) and nearest cost-adjusted incomes (median net income ÷ cost index). The cost band block above stays cohort-based; these neighborhoods vary by entity.
Similar overall cost index
Nearest countries by Eurostat price level (129 here, EU-27 = 100).
PLI neighbourhood · United Kingdom
What to do with this United Kingdom data
Use United Kingdom's cost-of-living index alongside its median income, price alone does not determine what your money buys.
- Run the numbers for United Kingdom in the calculator
- Compare United Kingdom vs Finland side by side
- See the full best-value ranking
- Browse every country we track
These are Eurostat comparative price-level averages for the whole country, not a personal budget. Regional and city-level costs can differ substantially from the national figure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is United Kingdom expensive to live in?
United Kingdom's overall cost of living is 29% above the EU-27 average (index 129).
What are housing & utilities costs in United Kingdom?
United Kingdom's housing & utilities price index is N/A.
How does income compare to costs in United Kingdom?
Income data is not available for United Kingdom.
PlainCostOfLiving is rendered directly from Eurostat comparative price levels and median equivalised net income, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-20. Primary sources: Eurostat comparative price levels (prc_ppp_ind) and Eurostat median equivalised net income (ilc_di03).