I’ve lived in Birmingham and London – the costs aren’t as different as you might think

“How much does a pint cost there these days?” – as a native Southerner living in Birmingham, I’ve become very used to answering this question. In the same way that a Fredo bar is used as a nation’s yardstick for inflation, the cost of a pint of beer has long been considered a marker of how expensive London is compared to the rest of the country.

And I’ll be the first to admit that, in many ways, it is. London is a notoriously expensive city, not just in the UK but globally. However, I’ve also noticed that prices are rising in the Second City at an alarming rate.

Whether it’s your weekly food shop, gas and electricity bills, or a ticket to watch your favourite football team, the cost of living in Birmingham has skyrocketed in recent years. But how do the two cities compare?

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Housing costs

The biggest difference between London and Birmingham when it comes to the cost of living is undoubtedly the cost of housing. Whether you’re renting or buying, the housing market in London has become increasingly unaffordable for many people – especially the younger generation.

Of course, rents vary across the city, but on average, Londoners pay a whopping £2,121 per month in rent — compared to £1,213 per month in Birmingham.

In my personal experience, £1,200 is enough to rent a spacious two-bedroom apartment in the city’s desirable Jewellery Quarter area, just minutes from the city centre, with a 24-hour concierge and a resident gym. In London, it’s just enough to afford a cramped studio apartment on the outskirts of the city, with your bed effectively in the kitchen.

The average purchase price of a property in Brum is currently around £273,000, according to Rightmove. In London, it’s a staggering £701,280 – but it’s worth noting that this figure is heavily skewed by the number of high-end homes in London that exist only for the super-rich. In reality, a typical London home will cost between £350-600k.

Property prices in both cities are being pushed up by the process of gentrification — a process that can be seen in parts of Birmingham, but not on the same scale as in London.

Food and drink

As mentioned earlier, the price of alcohol is a hot topic among my colleagues. Ever since I moved to Birmingham over six years ago, I too have found that a night out in Brum is much cheaper than in London.

But after recently shelling out £7.40 (yes, seven pounds and forty pence) for a Peroni pint at the famous Old Joint Stock, I was left baffled. Yes, it’s a fantastic pub right in the city centre, but I’ve never paid more than £7 for a pint in London, even at the most pretentious of craft breweries.

I will admit, however, that it is much easier to find a cheap bar in Birmingham than in London, where most pubs — except Wetherspoons — charge more than five pounds for a pint.

In terms of eating out, it’s very difficult to judge how the two cities compare. Both cities are blessed with a number of amazing restaurants, but also plenty of cheap and affordable eateries. In my experience eating out in both cities, there’s not a huge difference in restaurant prices – unless of course you want to splash out on a £600+ steak, garnished with golden flakes by internet sensation Salt Bae. But that’s never been my thing.

Transport

With London being a much larger city than Birmingham, you’d expect transport to be more expensive, which it is, but only slightly. A full day bus ticket in London currently costs £5.25 – compared to £4.50 in Birmingham.

Looking at the rail network, a peak-time adult pay-as-you-go fare on the Tube from the outskirts of London to central London currently costs around £2.80. In comparison, a journey of similar length from Solihull to central Birmingham costs £4.60 without a railcard.

For drivers, London is a little more expensive when it comes to insurance. A typical quote in London, according to car insurance group QuoteZone, is around £733 a year – compared to £569 in the West Midlands. As in Birmingham, drivers face additional clean air charges – £12.50 a day in London and £8 in Birmingham.

Leaving

When it comes to entertainment, both cities offer great options. If you’re looking for cinema tickets, local cinemas in both cities will likely offer similar prices of between £8-12 per ticket. However, venturing into the city centre is a different experience, with some London cinemas charging close to £20 for the latest blockbusters.

In terms of cultural attractions, London is typically more expensive. Tickets for the London Eye or the Tower of London can range from £20-30 – compared to just £10-15 for places like the ThinkTank science museum or Back to Backs. However, both cities have plenty of attractions that are free to visit.

A changing image

Overall, London is still considerably more expensive than the Second City – which won’t surprise many people. The biggest difference by far is the cost of renting or buying a property – where the two cities still feel like worlds apart.

However, I believe the gap between the two cities is narrowing – not that London is getting cheaper, though. As Birmingham evolves and grows, and the city attracts more visitors and residents, prices will rise too. It’ll be a long time before you’re paying £1,300 a month for a studio apartment in Birmingham, but I think my £7.40 pint could be a sign of things to come.