The UK cities with the biggest increases in the cost of a night out

Nights out are the perfect opportunity to catch up with friends, relax and have fun, much like online casinos. But the soaring cost of living has hit pubs, bars and clubs hard, forcing many to increase their prices.

So, which cities have seen the biggest price increase over the last two years?

We’ve delved into the data to find out, looking at the prices of public transport, a round of drinks, the average price of a nightclub ticket, the average price of a McDonald’s meal, taxi fares and a weekend night in a hotel.

The cities with the biggest increase in the cost of a night out

The cost of a night out in the UK has shot up drastically over the past two years, rising from an average of £121 in 2022 to £146 this year, an increase of 20.4%. The biggest culprit for this price increase is hotels, with prices rising by nearly a quarter for a single weekend night’s stay. This is followed closely by the price of a late-night McDonald’s at 22%. But which cities are raising their prices the most?

1. Oxford
127.6% increase since 2022

Oxford has seen the highest overall increase in the cost of a night out, rising by a whopping ​​127.6% since 2022. Prices in Oxford have risen drastically over the last two years, especially in the hospitality sector. Hotel prices rose by 160% thanks to the rising costs of operating in the industry, including higher labour costs due to a shortfall in staff numbers.

2. London
98.5% increase since 2022

The cost of living crisis has forced people to reconsider their finances, prioritising living expenses over a night out. In response, many businesses serving the nighttime economy have had to up their prices. London takes second place, with its cost of a night out nearly doubling since 2022. Hotel prices have seen the biggest increase in London of the factors we looked at, rising by 120%.

3. Dundee
51% increase since 2022

Third place is Dundee, where the cost of a night out has increased 51% over the last two years. The city’s nighttime economy has struggled with post-Brexit supply issues and reduced consumer spending power, forcing businesses to increase prices, such as the price of a McDonald’s meal rising by 21% since 2022.  

The cities with the smallest increase in the cost of a night out

1. Norwich
0.5% increase since 2022

Norwich has seen the lowest overall increase in the price of a night out, only rising by 0.5% since 2022. The city’s low population density means the cost of living hasn’t increased as much as other more populated areas, with taxi fares seeing the biggest price rise of 18% and hotel prices dropping by 3%.

2. Swindon
1.9% increase since 2022

Next up is Swindon, with only a 1.9% increase in total price. The city’s biggest price increase is the cost of a McDonald’s meal, which has risen by 18% over the last two years. Swindon’s economy has seen a low level of job creation over the last few years, and this lack of economic activity could explain the small increase.  

3. Wolverhampton
2.9% increase since 2022

Taking third place is Wolverhampton. The city suffers from high urban deprivation, which could explain why the total cost of a night out has only increased by 2.9% since 2022. The price of a pint has seen the biggest increase in Wolverhampton since 2022, rising by 32%.

The cities with the biggest decrease in the cost of a night out

1. Cardiff
26.5% decrease since 2022

Cardiff bucks the trend for the rising cost of a night out, with prices decreasing by 26.5% over the last two years. The cost of a hotel has seen the biggest decrease, dropping by 32%, followed by taxi fares at 9%. 

2. Newcastle upon Tyne
22.1% decrease since 2022

Newcastle is next up. The Toon takes second place, with a 22.1% decrease in the cost of a night out since 2022. Average hotel prices have dropped by nearly 30%, and public transport by 8%. The city famous for its trebles bars has only increased its pint prices by 13%, only slightly more than the UK average.  

3. Bournemouth
4.8% decrease since 2022

Bournemouth is in third place. Prices for a night out in the town on the South Coast have decreased across the board, with the biggest drop being taxi fares, which dropped 21%, and a one-way trip on public transport by 18%.  

The cheapest cities for a night out in 2024

1. Bradford
£94 per night out

Bradford can be crowned the cheapest city for a night out, costing just £94 in total, £52 less than the UK average. The city has the lowest hotel prices for a weekend night at £67, a 3.1% increase since 2022. It’s also one of the cheapest cities for taxi fares, taking second place at £3.55 for a one-mile journey, a 13% decrease over the last two years.

2. Huddersfield
£99 per night out

In second place is Huddersfield, where the cost of a night out stands at £99. This West Yorkshire town has the cheapest taxi fares, costing £2.87 for a mile-long trip, a drop of 18.5% since 2022. Huddersfield also has some of the lowest average alcohol prices, ranking third with three pints costing £10.05. It also costs £77 for a weekend night in a hotel in Huddersfield, making it the fifth cheapest city for the factor with only a 5.5% price increase since 2022.    

3. Milton Keynes
£100 per night out

Rounding out the top three is Milton Keynes, where it costs £100 for a night out. The Buckinghamshire city ranks relatively well across the board, scoring in the top 20 for four of the five factors we looked at. Milton Keynes also has the third cheapest hotel prices, at £73 per weekend night, a 37.7% increase since 2022.

The most expensive cities for a night out in 2024

1. London
£351 per night out

It comes as no surprise that the capital takes the top spot as the most expensive city for a night out. London has the highest prices for three factors we looked at, with an average McDonald’s meal costing £8, three pints setting you back £19.50, and a hotel stay costing £314,165.5% higher than the national average.

2. Oxford
£303 per night out

Oxford is second, averaging £303 for a night out. The city has the second-highest hotel prices after London, at £270 per night. It’s also the third most expensive city for a round of drinks, costing £17.16 for three pints, and ranks fourth for taxi prices, at £5.99 for a one-mile journey. 

3. Edinburgh
£265 per night out

Edinburgh takes third place. The city has the third-highest hotel prices at £235 per weekend night. It also has the fifth most expensive McDonald’s meal price, averaging £7.80 and ranks seventh for its drinks prices, with a round of three pints costing £15. 

The cities with the biggest increases in…

Average public transport cost – Leicester (34.8%)

Using public transport on a night out means you can get to nightlife hotspots quickly, easily, and usually much cheaper than other forms of transport. Leicester has seen the biggest increase in the cost of public transport, rising from £2.30 in 2022 to £3.10 over the last two years, a 34.8% increase. 

The average price of a pint – Bradford (45%)

Supply chain issues and rising VAT on alcohol have led pubs, clubs and bars to raise their alcohol prices. Bradford holds the unfortunate title of the city with the highest increase in the price of a pint, costing an average of £4.35 in 2024, a rise of 45% over the last two years.

The price of a McDonalds meal – Gloucester, Huddersfield, Peterborough (40%)

After your night out, you’ll want to head straight for the nearest takeaway to fill up after a night on the dancefloor and keep the party going with your friends. Three cities, Gloucester, Huddersfield and Peterborough have seen the highest price rises for McDonald’s meals, an average of 40% since 2022.

Taxi fare (per mile-long journey) – Birmingham (45.8%)

After a night out, you’ll want an affordable and safe way to travel home, especially if public transport isn’t available. The best way to do this is by taxi. Birmingham has the biggest increase in taxi fares on our list, rising by 45.8% for a mile-long trip, including the starting fee.  

A night in a hotel – Oxford (159.6%)

If you’re travelling to your chosen city for a night out, you’ll need a safe place to stay, relax and recharge after a night of partying. Unfortunately, if you’re planning a night out in Oxford, you’ll be paying a premium, with the average hotel price for a weekend night costing £314, an increase of 159.6% since 2022. 

Methodology

Beginning with the 50 biggest cities in the UK for which data was available, we analysed each city on the following factors before adding them together to find the total cost of a night out in 2024. We then compared this to data from the same sources in 2022 using the Wayback Machine to find the percentage change over the past two years.

• Average public transport cost: The average price of a one-way ticket on public transport, according to Numbeo.
• The average price of a pint: The average price of a pint of domestic beer, according to Numbeo. This was multiplied by three to find the cost of a round of drinks.
• Average nightclub ticket price: The average ticket price of each city’s ten most popular club nights, sourced from Fatsoma.
• The price of a McDonald’s meal: The average cost of a McMeal at McDonald’s (or equivalent combo meal) in each city, according to Numbeo.
• Taxi fare: The average taxi fare for a mile-long journey, including the starting price, according to Numbeo.  
• A night in a hotel: The average price of a weekend night in a hotel in each city, according to Kayak.

All data correct as of 04/07/2024.

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