How Many People in the UK Are Financially Comfortable?
We wanted to investigate how many people are financially comfortable in the UK.
To do this, we looked at median salary data for 147 administrative areas from the
Office of National Statistics and cost of living data from livingcost.org to find
out what percentage of people in the UK can afford to live by the 50-30-20 rule for budgeting.
What is the 50-30-20 Rule?
The 50-30-20 rule suggests spending:
- 50% of post-tax earnings on essentials (rent, utilities, food).
- 30% on wants (weekend trips, entertainment, etc.).
- 20% into savings (ISAs, emergency funds, etc).
Key Findings
- The average take-home monthly pay a single person needs to live comfortably in the UK is £3,020 (esimated pre-tax annual salary: £46,000).
- The average take-home monthly pay needed for a family of four to live comfortably is £7,345 (esimated pre-tax annual salary: £147,000).
- 41% of single people can afford to “live comfortably” in the UK.
- 27% of families can afford to “live comfortably” in the UK.
Region by Region Findings
Here are our findings by UK region:
Largest Cities
Place |
Monthly Take Home to Live Comfortably (Single Person) |
Percentage Comfortable |
Monthly Take Home to Live Comfortably (Family of Four) |
Percentage Comfortable |
London |
£5,416 |
17% |
£13,248 |
11% |
Leeds |
£3,140 |
37% |
£7,930 |
21% |
Manchester |
£3,376 |
28% |
£8,144 |
22% |
Liverpool |
£2,986 |
39% |
£7,364 |
22% |
<Birmingham |
£3,234 |
43% |
£7,638 |
37% |
Sheffield |
£2,860 |
59% |
£6,828 |
28% |
Bristol |
£3,750 |
26% |
£8,858 |
17% |
Brighton and Hove |
£4,982 |
15% |
£7,722 |
25% |
Edinburgh |
£3,550 |
36% |
£8,948 |
16% |
Glasgow |
£3,182 |
33% |
£7,660 |
22% |
North East
Place |
Monthly Take Home to Live Comfortably (Single Person) |
Percentage Comfortable |
Monthly Take Home to Live Comfortably (Family of Four) |
Percentage Comfortable |
North East |
£2,514 |
43% |
£6,639 |
27% |
Darlington |
£2,156 |
39% |
£7,918 |
22% |
Hartlepool |
£2,252 |
45% |
£5,750 |
34% |
Middlesbrough |
£2,416 |
44% |
£5,750 |
33% |
Stockton-on-Tees |
£2,320 |
52% |
£5,996 |
34% |
County Durham |
£2,532 |
44% |
£7,168 |
21% |
Tyne and Wear |
£2,532 |
45% |
£7,168 |
20% |
Gateshead |
£2,846 |
38% |
£6,950 |
24% |
Newcastle upon Tyne |
£2,918 |
38% |
£7,056 |
22% |
Sunderland |
£2,484 |
46% |
£6,304 |
29% |
North West
Place |
Monthly Take Home to Live Comfortably (Single Person) |
Percentage Comfortable |
Monthly Take Home to Live Comfortably (Family of Four) |
Percentage Comfortable |
North West |
£2,782 |
43% |
£6,851 |
28% |
Blackburn with Darwen |
£2,938 |
28% |
£6,960 |
<20% |
Blackpool |
£2,438 |
41% |
£5,868 |
26% |
Warrington |
£3,270 |
36% |
£7,308 |
33% |
Bolton |
£2,926 |
37% |
£6,772 |
29% |
Bury |
£2,516 |
55% |
£6,646 |
32% |
Manchester |
£3,376 |
28% |
£8,144 |
22% |
Oldham |
£2,722 |
47% |
£6,640 |
29% |
Rochdale |
£2,808 |
41% |
£6,488 |
32% |
Salford |
£3,060 |
38% |
£7,744 |
21% |
Wigan |
£2,622 |
50% |
£6,398 |
28% |
Burnley |
£2,358 |
51% |
£6,356 |
26% |
Chorley |
£2,770 |
48% |
£6,736 |
34% |
Lancaster |
£2,786 |
39% |
£6,906 |
24% |
Preston |
£2,504 |
51% |
£6,378 |
33% |
Liverpool |
£2,986 |
39% |
£7,364 |
22% |
St Helens |
£2,416 |
54% |
£6,946 |
26% |
Yorkshire and the Humber
Place |
Monthly Take Home to Live Comfortably (Single Person) |
Percentage Comfortable |
Monthly Take Home to Live Comfortably (Family of Four) |
Percentage Comfortable |
Yorkshire and the Humber |
£2,620 |
50% |
£6,591 |
29% |
Hull |
£2,398 |
48% |
£6,044 |
23% |
York |
£2,990 |
41% |
£7,704 |
26% |
Barnsley |
£2,290 |
54% |
£5,798 |
41% |
Doncaster |
£2,184 |
60% |
£6,050 |
34% |
Rotherham |
£2,470 |
49% |
£5,808 |
37% |
Sheffield |
£2,860 |
59% |
£6,828 |
28% |
Bradford |
£2,640 |
56% |
£6,192 |
29% |
Leeds |
£3,140 |
37% |
£7,930 |
21% |
Wakefield |
£2,610 |
47% |
£6,964 |
24% |
East Midlands
Place |
Comfortably Single Person |
Percentage Comfortable |
Monthly Take Home to Live Comfortably (Family of Four) |
Percentage Comfortable |
East Midlands |
£2,881 |
37% |
£6,865 |
23% |
Derby |
£2,870 |
39% |
£7,220 |
22% |
Leicester |
£3,000 |
23% |
£6,810 |
17% |
Northamptonshire |
£2,774 |
48% |
£6,770 |
23% |
Nottingham |
£3,072 |
23% |
£7,138 |
12% |
Harborough |
£2,948 |
47% |
£6,868 |
37% |
Hinckley and Bosworth |
£2,782 |
43% |
£6,630 |
29% |
Lincoln |
£2,752 |
40% |
£6,616 |
21% |
Mansfield |
£2,852 |
32% |
£6,870 |
20% |
West Midlands
Place |
Monthly Take Home to Live Comfortably (Single Person) |
Percentage Comfortable |
Monthly Take Home to Live Comfortably (Family of Four) |
Percentage Comfortable |
West Midlands |
£3,305 |
44% |
£6,819 |
29% |
Herefordshire |
£2,864 |
33% |
£7,344 |
21% |
Stoke-on-Trent |
£2,550 |
41% |
£6,174 |
25% |
Telford and Wrekin |
£2,466 |
42% |
£6,056 |
28% |
Staffordshire |
£2,930 |
34% |
£6,828 |
23% |
Cannock Chase |
£2,844 |
35% |
£6,880 |
23% |
Newcastle-under-Lyme |
£2,706 |
46% |
£6,484 |
24% |
Stafford |
£2,930 |
49% |
£6,828 |
23% |
Tamworth |
£2,922 |
38% |
£6,926 |
21% |
Nuneaton and Bedworth |
£2,484 |
53% |
£5,932 |
37% |
Rugby |
£2,634 |
57% |
£6,728 |
38% |
Stratford-on-Avon |
£2,996 |
43% |
£6,696 |
34% |
Warwick |
£2,766 |
55% |
£6,986 |
36% |
Birmingham |
£3,234 |
43% |
£7,638 |
37% |
Coventry |
£3,240 |
29% |
£7,118 |
24% |
Dudley |
£2,840 |
51% |
£6,822 |
38% |
Solihull |
£2,886 |
35% |
£8,044 |
16% |
Walsall |
£2,762 |
38% |
£6,406 |
29% |
Wolverhampton |
£2,714 |
43% |
£6,934 |
24% |
Worcestershire |
£2,656 |
50% |
£6,592 |
31% |
Bromsgrove |
£2,842 |
54% |
£6,998 |
43% |
Redditch |
£2,678 |
47% |
£6,792 |
26% |
East Anglia
Place |
Monthly Take Home to Live Comfortably (Single Person) |
Percentage Comfortable |
Monthly Take Home to Live Comfortably (Family of Four) |
Percentage Comfortable |
East Anglia |
£3,305 |
38% |
£8,051 |
27% |
Bedford |
£3,050 |
46% |
£8,004 |
25% |
Luton |
£3,244 |
31% |
£8,052 |
<20% |
Peterborough |
£2,834 |
39% |
£6,710 |
28% |
Southend-on-Sea |
£2,598 |
57% |
£7,338 |
37% |
Cambridge |
£3,932 |
34% |
£9,482 |
23% |
Huntingdonshire |
£3,234 |
39% |
£6,370 |
38% |
Basildon |
£3,192/td>
| 41% |
£8,054 |
29% |
Brentwood |
£4,090 |
37% |
£9,234 |
30% |
Chelmsford |
£3,226 |
38% |
£8,780 |
26% |
Colchester |
£2,960 |
45% |
£7,166 |
30% |
Harlow |
£3,678 |
29% |
£8,428 |
22% |
Hertfordshire |
£3,434 |
43% |
£8,214 |
33% |
St Albans |
£3,936 |
30% |
£8,656 |
41% |
Stevenage |
£3,224 |
44% |
£8,588 |
33% |
Watford |
£3,762 |
30% |
£10,170 |
<20% |
King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
£3,010 |
32% |
£7,210 |
20% |
Norwich |
£3,044 |
31% |
£7,100 |
22% |
Ipswich |
£3,034 |
38% |
£7,356 |
<20% |
South East
Place |
Monthly Take Home to Live Comfortably (Single Person) |
Percentage Comfortable |
Monthly Take Home to Live Comfortably (Family of Four) |
Percentage Comfortable |
South East |
£3,471 |
36% |
£7,988 |
27% |
Bracknell Forest |
£3,650 |
37% |
£9,012 |
22% |
Brighton and Hove |
£4,982 |
15% |
£7,722 |
25% |
Milton Keynes |
£3,768 |
26% |
£8,306 |
22% |
Portsmouth |
£3,050 |
38% |
£7,518 |
20% |
Reading |
£3,654 |
35% |
£8,714 |
25% |
Slough |
£3,480 |
37% |
£8,770 |
20% |
Southampton |
£3,196 |
31% |
£7,458 |
21% |
Maidenhead |
£4,156 |
55% |
£8,546 |
30% |
Wokingham |
£3,282 |
50% |
£8,148 |
43% |
Eastbourne |
££3,138 |
53% |
£7,896 |
38% |
Hastings |
£3,426 |
<20% |
£6,962 |
<20% |
Basingstoke and Deane |
£3,228 |
44% |
£8,194 |
34% |
Eastleigh |
£3,250 |
41% |
£8,398 |
29% |
Gosport |
£3,036 |
39% |
£7,412 |
24% |
Ashford |
£3,340 |
34% |
£6,572 |
31% |
Canterbury |
£3,362 |
47% |
£7,732 |
24% |
Dover |
£2,886 |
43% |
£7,018 |
32% |
Maidstone |
£3,022 |
35% |
£8,014 |
26% |
Folkestone and Hythe |
£3,022 |
39% |
£6,960 |
28% |
Tonbridge and Malling |
£3,212 |
44% |
£7,332 |
37% |
Tunbridge Wells |
£3,306 |
48% |
£8,322 |
33% |
Oxford |
£4,004 |
25% |
£9,366 |
<20% |
Guildford |
£3,872 |
36% |
£8,760 |
30% |
Woking |
£3,734 |
39% |
£8,484 |
32% |
Chichester |
£3,476 |
27% |
£7,864 |
20% |
Crawley |
£3,412 |
35% |
£8,198 |
28% |
Worthing |
£3,302 |
34% |
£7,598 |
23% |
South West
Place |
Monthly Take Home to Live Comfortably (Single Person) |
Percentage Comfortable |
Monthly Take Home to Live Comfortably (Family of Four) |
Percentage Comfortable |
South West |
£3,035 |
38% |
£7,518 |
26% |
Bath and North East Somerset |
£3,472 |
33% |
£8,750 |
<20% |
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole |
£3,344 |
26% |
£10,506 |
<10% |
Bristol |
£3,750 |
26% |
£8,858 |
17% |
Plymouth |
£2,810 |
38% |
£6,786 |
23% |
Swindon |
£3,198 |
38% |
£7,274 |
29% |
Exeter |
£3,046 |
32% |
£8,470 |
19% |
Gloucestershire |
£2,704 |
47% |
£6,784 |
31% |
Cheltenham |
£2,954 |
47% |
£7,518 |
31% |
Gloucester |
£2,704 |
47% |
£6,784 |
35% |
Wales
Place |
Monthly Take Home to Live Comfortably (Single Person) |
Percentage Comfortable |
Monthly Take Home to Live Comfortably (Family of Four) |
Percentage Comfortable |
Wales |
£2,990 |
37% |
£7,100 |
26% |
Wrexham / Wrecsam |
£2,648 |
49% |
£6,168 |
35% |
Swansea / Abertawe |
£2,798 |
38% |
£6,934 |
24% |
Neath Port Talbot / Castell-nedd Port Talbot |
£2,842 |
42% |
£6,902 |
23% |
Bridgend / Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr |
£3,032 |
38% |
£7,110 |
22% |
Cardiff / Caerdydd |
££3,190 |
32% |
£7,804 |
21% |
Newport / Casnewydd |
£3,078 |
35% |
£6,538 |
33% |
Scotland
Place |
Monthly Take Home to Live Comfortably (Single Person) |
Percentage Comfortable |
Monthly Take Home to Live Comfortably (Family of Four) |
Percentage Comfortable |
Scotland |
£2,982 |
43% |
£6,297 |
30% |
Aberdeen City |
£2,688 |
47% |
£7,130 |
29% |
Dumfries and Galloway |
£2,196 |
58% |
£5,460 |
37% |
Dundee City |
£2,442 |
47% |
£6,184 |
28% |
Edinburgh |
£3,550 |
36% |
£8,948 |
16% |
Glasgow |
£3,182 |
33% |
£7,660 |
22% |
Perth and Kinross |
£2,602 |
54% |
£5,950 |
44% |
Stirling |
£2,568 |
59% |
£6,540 |
36% |
Methodology
To find out how much it costs to live comfortably in each administrative region, we looked at cost of living data from livingcost.org.
This provided essential costs for each area, and we extrapolated this using the 50-30-20 budgeting principle to work out how much was needed to live comfortably.
We calculated how many people could live comfortably in each area using the 2024 Office of National Statistics report on earnings and hours worked by local authority.