What costs vary from area to area?

[redforport]

We're looking at a couple of different areas to move to I want to try and see roughly how our cost of living will vary in the different areas.

What I've thought of so far:

• House prices
• Council Tax
• Car and house insurance
• Utilities
• Childcare
• Tv & broadband (maybe?)

Anything I'm missing?

I think it's only childcare and house prices that vary in the Uk, with London and the SE being more expensive.

Pub prices - 10 ish quid for a gin & at least a fiver for a pint. I’m told this is not the case in other places

My water bill when I lived in the south west was three times as much as it is now in the east!

@nancy75 Where about are you? That's extortionate

We're Looking at locations in Scotland (where we are the now) and England if that's relevant.
I know you have to pay for water and prescriptions in England but I don't know if there are any other differences.

redforport you couid probably guess - London pub prices are infamous! On the plus side, anywhere in the world I go on holiday, drinks always seem cheap!

Errr, everything if you're comparing South East England or London with another area.

Depending on which areas you're considering, remember things that vary between England, Scotland and Wales. Prescriptions, hospital parking, funded childcare, free school meals and university tuition fees are just some things that vary between them.

We moved from Scotland to England (Yorkshire) and the things that we noticed were rent, council tax, prescriptions, unable to find an NHS dentist so private dental prices and by far the worst, supermarkets closing at 4pm on a Sunday!
We've been down south for 8 years now and I dream of the day we can go back home.

Everything!

If someone used to London prices moves virtually anywhere in the country, they are then generally astounded at getting change for a round in the pub to a breakfast in a cafe. From a haircut to a cinema ticket.

If you are remote, then prices can go up, as you don't get the competition you get in Cities - be that for shops or transport, or taxis, or buses or pubs / meals out, or for 'trades'. then things like phone reception can sometimes only be available on one network so you don't get the competition driving down prices etc.

God yes haircuts! I see posters in here saying they pay 60 quid for cut, highlights & full scale pamper - I‘Ve paid more than that for a trim!

Some useful thought thank you.

Ah, that figures, @nancy75

Tbf I've a better idea of how the areas in Scotland compare as I've lived in both previously, although in different stages in life so I'll have different things to consider now I guess.

It's England I'm pretty clueless about other than, probably expensive.
We're looking at Dorset and Cornwall if anybody has any helpful tips or insights.

Bar prices are pretty high in cities like Leeds and Manchester too - it's often a fiver for a pint, and I generally don't have wine, cocktails or G&T when out because it's just ridiculously priced. Local pubs are cheaper and there's always Wetherspoons or Sam Smiths.

Yes you have to pay for prescriptions in England, but no-one has to pay more than £10 a month as you'd just get a pre-pay cert if you need regular medicine, so it's barely worth consideration, as most are still free if young/old/low income/qualifying health condition.

There will also be significant variations between city/urban and market town/rural, in both England and Scotland. Takeaways in northern English cities can be significantly cheaper than many areas due to lots of competition - eg a large pizza, fish and chips or Chinese meal with rice or chips is usually about £5/6 and portions are large.
I've paid a lot more than that in rural Scottish areas obviously due to less competition and the cost of getting supplies to remote areas. The same probably goes for somewhere like Dorset or Cornwall - I'd imagine that eating out is quite expensive there due to it's popularity with well off holiday makers.

Water in South West England is notoriously expensive compared to the rest of the country. You could be paying £50/100 pm for water.

We moved to the midlands from the south coast and things like our cleaner, window cleaner and cat sitter all cost less. Parking in local towns even big ones is also less.
Restaurant, cafe and pub prices are fairly similar and takeaways are actually more expensive oddly enough.

Water isn’t too bad in Dorset, cheaper than Somerset but I think Cornwall is more. It’s not particularly cheap though overall - friend and I went to Chelsea Flower show , expected the food to be very expensive but found our lunch was same price as local garden centre.

There are some pretty affluent people and work done on the house gets charged accordingly if you aren’t careful. I told friend she was getting charged a premium in quotes for extension due to cars on drive but she didn’t believe me. Eventually they did decide to put cars round the corner and that quote came in 20k less than the others.

My Mum moved from Somerset and spent the first year complaining that everything cost a lot more.

Parking the car. I always find its cheaper up north. Fuel prices are pretty much the same everywhere. Yes to drinks being expensive in London, absolutely shockingly expensive for a night out. We’re a train journey from London and end up there for days/nights out.
Flights are cheaper up north too. Flew out of Newcastle to Nice from mils, was cheaper than London airports and that included the petrol we used to drive up to get the flights —one way to ruin the environment—

My dd moved from a two bed flat band B in northern quarter Manchester, to a jyst south of the city Center in a superb and the council tax was much cheaper for a two bed flat band B

The closer you are to any town Center the higher the council tax... so it not just areas but areas within areas

Longdistance I flew out of Manchester to faro as it was cheaper to drive from Birmingham than fly from Birmingham, daughter flat had a drive so parking free and was 4 tram stops from airport. But I’ve also flown from stanstead as it was cheaper to fly from there, park the car for 5 days & petrol than fly from Birmingham for two of us to Palma

(Almost) everything is more expensive in London, even things like swimming lessons and leg waxing. Just add 20-50% (depending where you are starting from) & you've got it.

Before Dorset councils unified we had five councils all in the top 10 of the most expensive council tax.

We moved from the south east to the Midlands. Most things are cheaper here tbh. Cafe prices, taxis, cinema tickets, haircuts, even parking etc.

I remember that a friend visiting from Edinburgh couldn't believe you could get a 99 Flake ice cream from the ice cream van for £1!

Petrol/diesel prices do vary enormously. My parents live in Scotland, we are in SE England and my dad always marvels at how expensive fuel is down here compared to there. Less variation at supermarkets but in standalone petrol stations it's very noticeable.

whoa hangon../ water is free in scotland?!!

what else is better up there?!

Car insurance. Depends on how 'risky' your area is. Nice areas sometimes have high rates of car thefts which can increase your premium so check this out.

Cleaners/nannies/babysitters/gardebers cost more ph in the south.

So many people want to move TO Scotland from England right now. You are consodering the opposite, how come? Just out of interest.

Food, petrol and eating out vary too.

Anything that is a service. Car repairs, house repairs, hairdressers, accountants etc...