Full list of most expensive cities to live in UK where money all goes on bills

People are earning more but a large portion of this is being swallowed up with paying for the essentials.

By Nicholas Dawson, Finance Reporter based in London, covering personal finance with a focus on the state pension and retirement planning.

A view of Birmingham

Birmingham was one of the top cities where people pay a large portion of their income on bills (Image: Getty)

Hundreds of thousands of Brits are paying more than 70 percent of their income just to cover the basic bills.

People in Liverpool use just over 75 percent of their earnings to pay their bills, with average bills at £1,473.90 a month, leaving just £490.93 in disposable income.

The second highest proportional billpayers are in Norwich, where people spend 74 percent of their monthly income just to keep a roof over their head, with total bills at £1,319.26, meaning they have just £462.49 left over, the lowest amount of all cities compared.

Residents of Birmingham also have little spare cash after paying their way, with total bills at £1,528.24, taking up 72.48 percent of their income, with just £580.39 left for other items.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's Londoners who have the biggest average bills, at £1,807.74, and this takes up 71.84 percent of their earnings, leaving £708.76 in disposable cash.

The other two cities where people spend more than 70 percent of their income just to get by are Nottingham and Plymouth, at 71.35 percent and 70.51 percent respectively.

The figures from the latest Household Money Index from MoneySuperMarket found earnings have increased across the UK with more cash available for home repairs, with spending on this area up 40 percent.

People also have more disposable income to spend on TV and music streaming, with spending up 41 percent.

This is how the cities compare with the proportion of income spent on bills, followed by the amount spent on bills and the disposable cash left over:

Liverpool - 75.01%

£ 1,473.90

£ 490.93

Norwich - 74.00%

£ 1,319.26

£ 463.49

Birmingham - 72.48%

£ 1,528.24

£ 580.39

London - 71.84%

£ 1,807.74

£ 708.76

Nottingham - 71.35%

£ 1,310.52

£ 526.26

Plymouth - 70.51%

£ 1,172.76

£ 490.54

Leeds - 69.87%

£ 1,286.06

£ 554.52

Manchester - 69.52%

£ 1,625.12

£ 712.48

Bristol - 67.49%

£ 1,236.88

£ 595.77

Cardiff - 67.01%

£ 1,381.72

£ 680.25

Glasgow - 64.25%

£ 1,319.28

£ 733.97

Edinburgh - 63.89%

£ 1,342.40

£ 758.58

Newcastle - 63.21%

£ 1,203.44

£ 700.43

Sheffield - 62.58%

£ 1,222.78

£ 731.05

Brighton - 61.08%

£ 1,278.54

£ 814.83

Belfast - 60.28%

£ 1,117.38

£ 736.17

Southampton - 60.03%

£ 1,238.40

£ 824.57.

With Southampton offering the best value for money in terms of how much money you spend on your bills, one resident of the coastal city spelled out how affordable it is to live there.

Mum-of-two Maddy Alexander-Grout said: "Southampton offers incredible value for money. Our monthly bills total approximately £2,000, which includes our mortgage, utilities, council tax, and other essential expenses.

"This only accounts for roughly 60 percent of our household’s monthly income, allowing us to stretch our income much further than we could in other cities. It means we can enjoy more activities without going over budget."

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