A recent survey has named London as the most expensive city in the UK for a date night. Courting couples in the capital city can expect to pay over £100 to enjoy a date that includes a meal, a trip to the cinema, and a pair of drinks.
The survey, which was carried out by beauty experts Cosmetify, revealed that it costs an average of £103.97 for couples in London to enjoy a typical date night. This included the price of a beer and a cocktail, dinner for two, a trip to the cinema to catch the latest romantic film, and a taxi ride home.
An average date night in London costs almost double the price of dates in Kingston in Hull, which was named the cheapest place by the survey for a date night. Couples in Hull can expect to pay an average cost of £53.74, with couples enjoying the same activities on their dates.
Each date night activity that was reviewed in the survey pointed to London as being the most expensive city. Two cinema tickets in London cost an average of £27.00, whilst a visit to a London restaurant for two meals came to an average of £34.00. A single pint of beer can cost £6.11, whilst the average price of a cocktail is a whopping £12.00.
Oxford was named the second most expensive place in the UK to go on a date night. Although Oxford did prove to be cheaper than London prices, the study did reveal that an average date night came to £83.96. This included an average cost of £22.00 for two cinema tickets, £30.50 for two meals at a restaurant, as well as £19.21 for a five-mile taxi fare. A pint of beer in Oxford can set you back an average of £4.25, whilst a cocktail In Oxford costs an average of £8.00.
Both London and Oxford have been identified as expensive places to live in the past, so it’s not surprising that a night out for two can be pricey in these cities. However, this is balanced out by the fact that both the capital and the city of dreaming spires have a lot to offer, and couples can find plenty of free activities when dating on a budget. Both cities have beautiful parks and scenic routes for courting couples to enjoy a romantic stroll, so your next date doesn’t have to break the bank.
Despite the fact that the top two most expensive cities for a date night are located in England, Scotland also proved to be costly for a romantic night out. Couples in Edinburgh can expect to pay an average of £82.73 for an average date. Whilst Edinburgh was cheaper than Oxford in regards to cinema tickets and a five-mile taxi fare, the Scottish city was shown to be more expensive in other aspects. An average meal out in Edinburgh costs £30.50, which is the second-highest amount in the survey. The price of one cocktail was also revealed to be an average of £9.00, which was the same price in four other cities that made the top ten list of most expensive date night cities.
Top ten most expensive cities in the UK for a date night
Following London, Oxford, and Edinburgh, Cambridge and Brighton both passed the £80.00 mark, as an average date night in Cambridge costs £81.03 and a Brighton night out has a slightly lower average at £80.66.
A meal out for two in Cambridge, which is famed for its university, can cost around £33.00, according to the report. This is slightly more expensive than Brighton, where the same would cost £31.00, and Nottingham, where couples would have to pay an average of £30.50. Other expenses included a cocktail, which cost an average of £9.00 in Cambridge and Brighton, whereas Nottingham was slightly cheaper at £8.00.
The remaining cities that were found to be expensive places to have a date are Southampton, Bristol, Manchester, and Reading. It seems that predominately southern cities made the most expensive cities list, although there were some exceptions, such as Edinburgh and Nottingham.
The table below shows a list of the most expensive cities for a date night and a breakdown of the average costs.
| City | Average cost for two cinema tickets | Average cost for one pint of beer | Average cost for one cocktail | Average cost for a taxi fare (5 miles) | Average cost for dinner in a restaurant for two | Total average cost | |
| 1. | London | £27.00 | £6.11 | £12.00 | £24.86 | £34.00 | £103.97 |
| 2. | Oxford | £22.00 | £4.25 | £8.00 | £19.21 | £30.50 | £83.96 |
| 3. | Edinburgh | £20.00 | £4.55 | £9.00 | £15.68 | £33.50 | £82.73 |
| 4. | Cambridge | £22.27 | £4.50 | £9.00 | £12.26 | £33.00 | £81.03 |
| 5. | Brighton | £20.45 | £4.83 | £9.00 | £15.38 | £31.00 | £80.66 |
| 6. | Nottingham | £20.00 | £4.00 | £8.00 | £14.34 | £30.50 | £76.84 |
| 7. | Southampton | £24.00 | £4.13 | £7.00 | £13.79 | £27.00 | £75.92 |
| 8. | Bristol | £19.75 | £3.32 | £9.00 | £11.32 | £31.50 | £74.89 |
| 9. | Manchester | £18.00 | £4.00 | £9.00 | £12.53 | £29.50 | £73.03 |
| 10. | Reading | £18.00 | £3.96 | £8.00 | £14.38 | £28.00 | £72.34 |
Least expensive cities in the UK for a date night
The same study also revealed the cheapest cities in the UK for a date night. Kingston upon Hull topped the list with an average date night cost of £53.74. This means the lucky daters in the city are spared from having to dig too deep into their pockets while still enjoying a night out on the town.
This included a pair of cinema tickets, which cost only £13.00. In London, you can expect to pay double that. A pint of beer can cost an average of £3.37, whilst a cocktail usually comes with a price tag of around £7.00. Taxis are far cheaper in Hull as well, as a five-mile journey would only cost couples an average of £10.37. In addition, a meal out for two is far cheaper than in London at only £20.00 on average.
Cardiff and Stoke-on-Trent were both found to cost couples under £60.00 on average. Dates in the Welsh city come to an average of £55.43, which includes £11.50 for two cinema tickets and £21.50 for two meals in a restaurant. Stoke-on-Trent was only slightly more expensive at an average cost of £58.88. A five-mile taxi fare in the city only costs £11.96 on average, whilst two tickets to the cinema were found to cost an estimated £16.25. All three cities had an average cocktail price of £7.00.
Other cities to feature on this list include Belfast, Newcastle, and Portsmouth. Belfast was the only Northern Irish city to make either list, with an average cost of £61.55 for a date night. Surprisingly, despite Portsmouth’s closeness to Southampton (which was placed on the most expensive list), the great waterfront city was named as the seventh cheapest place in the UK to go on a date night.
Below is a table showing the cheapest UK city for a date night.
| City | Average cost for two cinema tickets | Average cost for one pint beer | Average cost for one cocktail | Average cost for a taxi fare (5 miles) | Average cost for dinner in a restaurant for two | Total average cost | |
| 1. | Kingston upon Hull | £13.00 | £3.37 | £7.00 | £10.37 | £20.00 | £53.74 |
| 2. | Cardiff | £11.50 | £3.47 | £7.00 | £11.96 | £21.50 | £55.43 |
| 3. | Stoke-on-Trent | £16.25 | £3.51 | £7.00 | £10.62 | £21.50 | £58.88 |
Commenting on the findings a spokesperson for Cosmetify said: “After spending so long being unable to enjoy a night out with a partner, people can finally have a date night again. Couples in Kingston upon Hull can enjoy the fact that they are getting good value for money compared to the rest of the UK. Meanwhile, Londoners might face more awkward questions about splitting the bill, given how high the cost of a date is in the capital.”
So whether you’re planning a romantic getaway with your other half or want to stay in your home city for a date, it’s your best bet to avoid London if you don’t want an expensive evening. A visit to Covent Garden will prove more expensive than a trip to Princes Quay in the city center of Hull. If your destination isn’t next door and you need a ride home afterward in a taxi, you could find yourself footing an even bigger bill.
London, Oxford, and Edinburgh may be romantic destinations, but they can also cost you more, so why not try somewhere different for your next date and explore the charms of Kingston upon Hull, Cardiff, or Stoke-on-Trent? Each of these places has something to offer couples looking for a romantic night out, and you can be sure that you’re getting good value for money.
