28th May 2026
Financial experts warn the UK’s ‘single tax’ is worsening as bills set to rise in July
Hi Simon,
Hope you’re well!
Following yesterday’s news around rising household costs, with energy bills set to increase by more than £200 a year from July, recent research from credit card experts at Zable reveals how people living alone are being hit particularly hard by the cost of living crisis, with solo households facing significantly higher costs just to cover essentials.
You can view the full study here: https://zable.co.uk/money-academy/cost-to-live-as-a-single-person
Financial experts warn the UK’s ‘single tax’ is worsening as bills set to rise in July
|
City |
Annual cost to be in a couple per person |
Annual cost to be single |
Difference |
|
London |
£19,483.49 |
£30,636 |
+£11,153 |
|
Edinburgh |
£18,565.55 |
£27,645 |
+£9,080 |
|
Oxford |
£19,929.33 |
£28,697 |
+£8,768 |
|
Cambridge |
£19,550.99 |
£27,977 |
+£8,426 |
|
Brighton and Hove |
£19,358.74 |
£27,574 |
+£8,216 |
|
Bristol |
£18,632.47 |
£26,698 |
+£8,065 |
|
Manchester |
£16,157.04 |
£22,972 |
+£6,815 |
|
Milton Keynes |
£17,728.28 |
£24,366 |
+£6,638 |
|
Exeter |
£17,001.31 |
£23,472 |
+£6,471 |
|
Portsmouth |
£17,355.48 |
£23,618 |
+£6,262 |
*Annual costs analysed one-bedroom rental prices, council tax rates, and household spending
Key findings include:
- Single-person households spend an average of £5,982 more per year on essential living costs compared to couples.
- London is the most expensive city to live alone, with singles paying an additional £11,153 annually.
- The average cost of living for a single person has risen by £264 per month over the past five years, from £1,541 in 2020 to £1,805 in 2025.
- Single people now spend almost the same as couples each month, with just a 9% difference between the two.
- Newport has seen the biggest increase in costs for singles, rising by 26% since 2020.
Would you be interested in seeing the full press release?
If you have any questions or need any further information, please let me know!
Best,
Isabella