Something for the weekend: For those looking to make their pay stretch further, or use their voluntary benefits to the best advantage this Valentine’s Day, Kingston upon Hull has been revealed to be the most affordable UK city for a date night, according to research by Financial World.
Dates in Kingston upon Hull were found to cost an average total of £71.97. A three-course dinner for two at a mid-range restaurant cost £39.97, with a taxi at £11, two cinema tickets at £10, a cocktail at £8, and an average of just £3 for the UK’s cheapest pint of beer.
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, a study by Furniture at Work found that 58% of UK employees have admitted to having a romantic relationship in the workplace. Those in Kingston upon Hull will therefore be glad to know they can ask their cubicle crush out without breaking the bank.
The second most affordable city was Preston, where the average cost of a date night came to £83.65. On average, the price of a three-course meal was the same as in Hull, but couples would pay £11 more on average for two movie tickets.
Dundee ranked as the third most affordable city, with the average cost coming to £89.96. Dundee had the cheapest cocktails in the UK at £6 each on average, but cinema tickets for two cost approximately £15. Sheffield just made the top 10, with an average cost of £97.96.
Unsurprisingly, the most expensive city to go on a date in the UK was London. Couples spent £132.90 on average for a date night in the capital.
A spokesperson for Financial World said: “Cities in the North of England tend to dominate the rankings, accounting for four in 10 of the cheapest areas of the UK for a date night. While many may be unsurprised by London ranking top for average total cost, it is interesting to see just how large the price disparity is between some of the UK’s most and least expensive cities.
“While it can feel challenging to be romantic on a limited budget, these findings suggest that some couples will fare better than others when it comes to planning their dates and their finances this Valentine’s Day.”
Here at Employee Benefits, we would encourage any London-based employees to take a look at their voluntary benefits package to try and bring those date night costs down, but whether staying at home or splashing the cash, Happy Valentine’s Day from us!