How Much Does It Cost to Live In Birmingham?
As a newcomer to the United Kingdom, one of the questions you might be wondering about is the cost of living there and whether it is a wise decision to settle in less famous cities so as to be able to save some money.
What you have to worry about are all the costs you will have to deal with there and how they may affect your budget.
That is why maybe Birmingham is the ideal place of residence for you, being that it is neither too small, nor too expensive.
United Kingdom : Cost of Living by City
- Aberdeen
- Bath
- Belfast
- Birmingham
- Brighton
- Bristol
- Cambridge
- Cardiff
- Coventry
- Derby
- Edinburgh
- Exeter
- Glasgow
- Leeds
- Leicester
- Liverpool
- London
- Manchester
- Milton Keynes
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- Norwich
- Nottingham
- Oxford
- Peterborough
- Plymouth
- Portsmouth
- Reading
- Sheffield
- Southampton
- Swindon
- York
RESTAURANTS
Make sure that you also save a certain amount of cash for restaurants as this is a frequent way of spending leisure time.
These costs can be lowered if you do not mind eating out in an inexpensive restaurant.
In general, more than 17% of monthly budget is spent there, so it can be said that Birmingham citizens like dining out.
MARKETS
When it comes to food, it is one of the major expenses and how much you will need depends on whether you are a single person living in the UK or you are there to provide for the whole family and the prices are definitely more affordable at the local markets than in expensive stores.
TRANSPORTATION
Many people in Birmingham will commute by buses instead of having a vehicle due to the high insurance, registration and gasoline prices, as well as difficulties in finding a parking lot.
Public transport system makes the commute faster and you can travel much further for much less, as the monthly pass is only $77.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Bear in mind that the service costs are not included in the rent and while the average rent that you will pay varies depending on where you live the utilities prices will vary depending on how much you use them.
The less people living in one place, the lower the bills will be.
SPORTS & LEISURE
There are ways to get rid of some of the costs, and people frequently decide to avoid spending money on leisure time activities.
However, that should not be the case in Birmingham, as the prices of these activities are so affordable and reasonable that the majority of people can afford it.
CLOTHING & SHOES
The prices of clothing items in Birmingham are quite affordable, when compared to other cities in the United Kingdom, and especially when London is in question.
Still, quite a little is spent on this as clothing is not a basic need for surviving.
RENT PER MONTH
You can choose to live in the outskirts of the city instead of renting a house in the center which will turn to be less expensive for the same size and quality of the place.
In general, the costs vary greatly depending on the amenities that can be found there.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Birmingham
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $15.48 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $4.84 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $1.51 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $1.20 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $1.18 |
| Eggs (12) | $2.17 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $3.23 |
| Monthly Pass | $77.42 |
| Gasoline | $1.64 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $163.53 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.13 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $39.41 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $29.42 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $9.03 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $11.61 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $61.15 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $36.92 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $72.37 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $972.45 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $679.11 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $1690.35 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Birmingham?
Once you come to Birmingham, you will have to adjust your monthly budget which might differ from the one in your home country and the best way to do this is to get familiar with the spendings of its residents.
What might differ in your case is the amount spend on rent, as the citizens usually possess their properties.
People from Birmingham spend quite a lot in restaurants, which you might avoid if you live on the budget.
The least money is spent on clothing, which is the situation in many countries in the world.
Average Costs Breakdown
Birmingham: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
When we compare the prices and the average salaries in Birmingham, it can be concluded that the cost of living is fairly average here.
If you are coming from a country where the standard of living is similar to one here, it will not take much of an adjustment in order to live in Birmingham.
It would be difficult for people who earn the minimum salary and have to pay the rent, because their wage will not be enough to cover all the expenses.
Birmingham Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Birmingham Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
- MUGGING RISK: LOW
- TERRORISM RISK: LOW
- SCAMS RISK: LOW
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
Cost of Living by City in Birmingham
| City | Cost of Living Index |
|---|---|
| Aberdeen | 73.02 |
| Bath | 74.48 |
| Belfast | 62.42 |
| Brighton | 69.54 |
| Bristol | 69.58 |
| Cambridge | 72.6 |
| Cardiff | 62.12 |
| Coventry | 66.31 |
| Derby | 61.5 |
| Edinburgh | 61.5 |
| Exeter | 66.56 |
| Glasgow | 66.5 |
| Leeds | 68.26 |
| Leicester | 65.59 |
| Liverpool | 62 |
| London | 81.31 |
| Manchester | 69.86 |
| Milton Keynes | 78.5 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 62.76 |
| Norwich | 64.95 |
| Nottingham | 67.05 |
| Oxford | 72.6 |
| Peterborough | 41.93 |
| Plymouth | 70.02 |
| Portsmouth | 71.04 |
| Reading | 76.73 |
| Sheffield | 62.64 |
| Southampton | 63.73 |
| Swindon | 69.92 |
| York | 69.33 |
