Moving to Liverpool? 2023 Living Costs & Relocation Tips

The Three Gaces Liverpool

Photo by Rept0n1x

Liverpool is a vibrant, growing city. It’s history, architecture, jobs and welcoming Liverpudlians make it a city where many people relocate and never want to leave. It has the city, the countryside, the beach and, of course, the Beatles.

If you are considering moving to Liverpool, the various costs listed below will help you make an informed decision on what costs are involved.

Quick Liverpool Facts:

Population: 467,000 (2017 estimate), 2 million in the Liverpool city region.
Official Language: English (de facto)
GDP Per Capita: $33,230 USD
China Town: Liverpool’s China Town is the oldest Chinese community in Europe.
Currency: Pound Sterling or Great Britain Pound (£, GBP). As of early 2017, $1 USD = £0.80, €1 EUR = £0.85, $1 CAD = £0.61, $1 AUD = £0.62

Sections

1. Moving and Shipping Costs to Liverpool

Below are some sample container shipping costs to Liverpool from other major world cities. Just keep in mind they only reflect the shipping portion of the cost and not the full moving costs.

London – £127+
Australia (Sydney) – £2,215+
Ireland (Dublin) – £229+
USA (New York City) – £907+
Canada (Vancouver) – £1,500+
New Zealand (Auckland) – £2,618+
Hong Kong – £526+
Dubai – £1,706+
Singapore – £830+

You can save money by comparing removals companies if moving from within the UK and international moving companies if coming from abroad using our moving quote form above.

Also see: 10 Best Removal Companies In Liverpool

2. Liverpool Housing Costs

House and flat prices in Liverpool are reasonable compared with other major cities around the globe. Prices obviously vary from area to area but the figures below will give you an indication of what’s available at what price.

Monthly Rental Prices in Liverpool

1 bedroom flat (apartment) in City Centre: £450+
1 bedroom flat outside the City Centre: £350+
3 bedroom flat in City Centre: £700+
3 bedroom flat outside the City Centre: £525+

Liverpool Home Purchase Prices

Price per square metre (10.7 square feet) to buy in City Centre: £3,500+
Price per square metre (10.7 square feet) to buy outside City: £2,000+

Liverpool Housing Cost Comparison

This is how rents in Liverpool compare with other cities around the globe.

London is 211.56% more expensive
New York is 348.92% more expensive
Los Angeles is 197.82% more expensive
Toronto is 78.25% more expensive
Sydney is 193.78% more expensive
Paris is 88.57% more expensive
Dubai is 228.25% more expensive

Source: Numbeo

How to Save on Housing Costs

Share a flat or house. Liverpool has a selection of houses and flats which are suitable for sharing. With a house share you will have your own room, or, for a cheaper option, you can share a room. The bathroom/s will be shared with other people in the house. Have a look on Liverpool’s Gumtree page, SpareRoom and Easyroommate and find someone you can get on with to share the costs with you.
Different areas – different prices. Like all cities, Liverpool has a range of housing styles at various prices. The south side of Liverpool is usually considered the more affluent area in which to live. Places like Bowring Park, Gatacre, Childwall, Wavertree Garden Suburb and Aigburth are all great place to live. If you don’t mind a small commute, you can live in a coastal town like Crosby and Waterloo and enjoy the countryside and the beach. Lark Lane in the city, is a place full of young professionals and artists. The Baltic Triangle is an up and coming area with large, modern apartment blocks.

3. Liverpool Food, Grocery and Restaurant Costs

Chinatown Liverpool

Photo by Antony McCallum, via Wikimedia

Liverpudlians enjoy their food. Liverpool is full of restaurants serving food from around the world. Don’t forget to try scouse. It’s Liverpool’s own take on meat stew and veg, served with crusty bread and beetroot or red cabbage.

It’s this dish which gave Liverpudlians their nickname – “Scousers”. Note that with the recent decline in sterling, a lot of imported food has increased in price, which has obviously pushed up restaurant prices.

Inexpensive Restaurant: £10.00 – £20.00
Takeout Coffee: £2.00 – £3.00
Bottle of Coke: £1.00 – £1.25
1L of milk: £0.70 – £1.00
Loaf of Bread: £0.62 – £1.40
12 Eggs: £1.00 – £2.50
1kg Chicken: £3.00 – £6.00
1kg Beef: £7.00 – £14.00
1kg Apples: £1.00 – £2.00
1kg White Rice: £0.50 – £1.60

This is how restaurants and food prices compare with other major cities in the world.

New York restaurants are 36.03% more expensive and groceries are 111.52% more expensive than Liverpool.
Toronto restaurants are 10.55% cheaper and groceries are 31.04% more expensive than Liverpool.
Sydney restaurants are 0.01% more expensive and groceries are 65.78% more expensive than Liverpool.
Paris restaurants are 7.47% more expensive and groceries are 58.63% more expensive than Liverpool.
Dubai restaurants are 10.89% cheaper and groceries are 20.48% more expensive than Liverpool.

Source: Numbeo

Bonus Tips for Cheaper Food, Restaurants and Groceries

Know your supermarkets: Apart from the usual supermarkets, Liverpool is proud of the high standard of its local produced such as asparagus, shrimps, lamb and Liverpool beer and gin. The UK has a large selection of supermarkets and other stores to suit every income level and palate.
Find Cheap Eats:Liverpool has many affordable restaurants and the selection is different foods is excellent. TripAdvisor and The Guardian both have their own guides to cheap eats in Liverpool.

4. Liverpool Alcohol Costs

Like most of the UK, Liverpool has a very active pub scene. The following is a list of basic prices of beer and wine from the supermarket and restaurants.

Pint (0.6L) domestic beer at a restaurant/pub: £2.00 – £3.00
Bottle of imported beer at a restaurant/pub (0.33L): £2.00 – £4.00
Pint (0.6L) domestic beer at a supermarket: £0.70 – £1.60
Bottle of imported beer at a supermarket: £1.00 – £2.70
Mid-range bottle of wine at a supermarket: £5.00 – £8.00

How to drink for less in Liverpool

Keep an eye on the local papers, bulletin boards and websites for specials over weekends and public holidays.
Liverpool has many bars, restaurants and clubs that offer specials on drinks on certain days or during different hours of the day/evening. Have a look at Designmynight, The Liverpool Echo for a cheap pint and A Night in Liverpool for information on how to have a good night out and save money.
Scour the areas around Liverpool University and other tertiary institutions to find the best alcohol deals. Students are excellent at finding cheap alcohol.

5. Liverpool Transportation Fares

Liverpool has a good transport system. Have a look at Mersey Travel to see the range of tickets available for train, bus and ferry.

Here are some example ticket costs.

Adult Single – £2.20
One day ticket for bus, ferry and train – £5.10
Monthly season ticket for bus, ferry and train – £129.40
Yearly season ticket for bus, ferry and train – £1,294

How to save money on public transport

Buy a Walrus Card and save time and money when travelling.
Buy a Saveaway Ticket and travel before 06.30 and after 09.30 for £3.90
Buy a bike. Many people cycle to and from work in Liverpool.
The city is not that big and exercise is always good.

6. Cost of Internet in Liverpool

Internet in the UK is one of the few things that is cheaper than the US, Canada or Australia. Here are some sample broadband internet prices from early 2017 for unlimited downloads, based on a 12-month contract:

Sky: £18.99 a month (Standard Broadband up to 17mb)
TalkTalk: £20 a month (Standard Broadband up to 17mb)
BT: £24.49 a month (Standard Broadband up to 17mb)
Virgin Media: £32.25 a month (Fibre up to 50mb)

7. Cost of Clothing, Personal Items, Gym and Leisure

Liverpool One Shopping Centre

Photo by John Bradley

Liverpool has a mild climate, with an average summer temperature in July of 16°C. January is the coldest month, where the average temperature is around 5°C. October is the wettest month with an average rainfall of 73mm.

Like most places in the UK, rain is always a possibility, so it’s wise to carry an umbrella or a fold up waterproof jacket.

Here are some clothing prices, together with other useful prices.

Pair of Jeans: £30 – £65
Summer Dress: £20 – £45
Running Shoes (Trainers): £50 – £80
Business Shoes: £40 – £75
Short Doctor’s visit (15 mins): £33
Deodorant: £1.62
Shampoo: £2.31
Toilet Paper (4 rolls): £1.78
Gym membership: £14 – £30 per month
Movie (cinema) ticket: £7 – £10.00

Source: Numbeo and Expatistan

8. Cost of Owning a Car and Driving a Car in Liverpool

Victoria Street Liverpool

Liverpool is small city and very few people drive into the city for work as the traffic is always congested and parking is very expensive.

If you’re moving to Liverpool from within the UK, you’ll be able to keep your license but need to update your address to your new Liverpool one.

If you want to exchange your foreign driver’s license you have to follow the process here. Note that you will need to prove you took your driving test in a manual transmission car. If you can’t prove it, you’ll only be able to exchange your license for an automatic.

Here are some other sample costs of owning and operating a car in Liverpool:

Volkswagen Golf: £15,000+
1 litre (¼ gallon) of gas (petrol): £1.11
Registration fee (if any): £55 one time
Other fees (if any): No more than £54.85 for an MOT fee, after cars are 3 years old.

Source: Expatistan.com, Gov.uk

Ways to save money on driving in Liverpool

Car sharing or pooling is one way to save money and it makes you feel noble as you will be reducing your carbon footprint. Try easyCar Club, Bla Bla Car, Car Pool World or Liftshare
Taxis can sometimes be a cheaper option, especially if you are going to have to park all day. Try Uber.

Need your car/vehicle moved to Liverpool? Then read our guide to: Car Transport & Vehicle Shipping

9. Taxes in Liverpool

No matter where you live in England, you will pay the same rate of income and sales tax. To learn more about the different taxes – income, self-employment, business, capital gains etc, have a look at our moving to the United Kingdom guide.

Sales Tax, or VAT (Value Added Tax) is 20% in the UK and is added to most goods and services throughout the country. Unlike some countries, it is always included in the marked price.

Whether you own or rent your home, you will be subject to council tax based on the area in which you live and the size of the property you live in. Learn more about council tax in Liverpool at Liverpool Council.

Finally, if you decide to buy a flat or house in Liverpool you’ll have to pay stamp duty. While there’s no tax on the first £125,000 of your home value, the marginal rate increases to 12% on a value of over £1.5 million.

10. Flight Costs from Liverpool

If you do make the move to Liverpool, here’s approximately how much it will cost to fly to other major world cities based on lowest, one-way fares from Skyscanner as of early 2017:

New York: £230
Los Angeles: £224
Toronto: £313
Vancouver: £287
Dubai: £91
Sydney: £483
Melbourne: £393
Cape Town: £572
Hong Kong: £303

Other Tips on Moving to Liverpool

The costs and pricing above should give you a good idea of the cost of living in Liverpool but perhaps the following extra tips will make your move go smoothly.

11. Moving to Liverpool Alone

Moving anywhere can be a lonely experience, but moving to a new city can be rather daunting. Here are a few tips to help you settle quickly in Liverpool.

Meetups: Meetup groups are a great way to meet people who enjoy the same activities as you. Whether you enjoy football (and if you are moving to Liverpool, you’d better make sure you do!), playing chess, dancing or hiking, you will find a group to join with like-minded souls.
Attend local events: There’s always lots going in Liverpool at any given time. To find out what’s going on go to Visit Liverpool, Skiddle, Liverpool Echo, Liverpool 360, The Cavern or Explore Liverpool. You can’t live in Liverpool without going to the Cavern, the club where the Beatles performed in the early 1960s.

12. Moving to Liverpool with a Family

Liverpool and the surrounding areas offer a lot for the family. Not only is there lots to do in Liverpool itself, there is beautiful countryside close by and, of course, the beach. Here’s some extra food for thought.

New parents (or parents to be): Check out the local NCT Courses and NCT Events.
Live in a family friendly area: Allerton is very popular with families. For the Beatles fans, Penny Lane is in Allerton. It has good schools and is excellently situated for public transport and major routes. Aigburth is another favourite with families as it’s close to parks and river walks. Both areas have shopping centres and all the amenities you need.
Find things to do with the kids: Go to Dayoutwiththekids, Liverpool Echo, The Guardian and Kids Guide.

13. Moving to Liverpool for Work

Liverpool’s economy is growing, with over 12,000 jobs created last year alone. The average wage is lower than most major cities in the UK but the cost of living is also lower.

Liverpool’s main employment areas are now in shipping and logistics, education, healthcare, public administration, finance and business services.

Here are a few things to consider when moving for work:

Salary: Salaries in Liverpool are not as high as in most major centres in the UK or other major cities around the world. The costs we outlined above should give you a rough idea, how much more you’ll want to be making to make the move worthwhile. You can also check salary ranges on sites such as Glassdoor and Payscale.
How to find work: Have a look at the jobs available on the following sites: Monster, Total Jobs, Gumtree, Joblift, Reed.co.uk and Indeed. You may also want to google recruiters in your industry, as they can often help land you some initial interviews as well.

14. Moving to Liverpool from Australia

Most Australians living the UK, live in London. However, there are a token few Aussies living in Liverpool. If you really want to meet lots of fellow Australians you can always make a 2 hour 45 minute train journey and have a weekend in London.

Size comparison: The city of Liverpool is just slightly large in population size than Newcastle in New South Wales. The whole Liverpool conurbation is around the size of Perth.
Join expat groups: Both Internations and Expat.com offer ways of meeting up with other Australians in Liverpool.

15. Moving to Liverpool from Canada

While you won’t find a huge number of Canadians living in Liverpool. If you’re considering making the move from Canada here are a few things to consider.

Size: The city of Liverpool is around the size of Kitchener, however the whole Liverpool metropolitan area has nearly as many inhabitants as Vancouver.
Expat groups: Internations helps Canadians meet up with fellow Canadians.

16. Moving to Liverpool from the United States

Liverpool doesn’t seem to attract many Americans, as they generally prefer to go to London. However, there still some some who make the move. If you’re considering it, here are a few bonus tips:

Size: The city of Liverpool has around the same number of people as Albuquerque. The entire metropolitan area has the same number of inhabitants as Houston, Texas.
Expat groups: Although the number of American’s in Liverpool is small, the numbers are slowly growing. Have a look at Internations, the site will tell you how to get in touch with fellow Americans.

Hopefully, the tips and costs above are helpful. If want to get started pricing out how much it will cost you to move to Liverpool, you can start by comparing moving quotes here.

Guides to moving and living in other UK cities