TV Licence costs considered, the UK is still one of the most affordable places to get by
The planned increase in TV licence fees has caused uproar across the nation and with many of us now no longer tuning in to live TV, there have been calls to scrap it completely, which has already been done across a number of other nations.
Currently, the UK is home to the fourth-highest TV licence cost when compared to 17 other European nations and even with the impending increase, this will remain the case.
While £154.50 a year does seem steep for the occasional bit of prime time Attenborough, leading lettings management platform, Howsy, has looked at how this ties into the overall cost of renting and how this cost of living compares to other European nations.
Howsy looked at the average cost of renting, the cost of a TV licence, the average monthly spend on utilities and the average monthly cost of that all-important internet connection, and what this equates to as a percentage of net monthly earnings.
The research shows that all things considered, the UK is far from the most expensive place to live and actually ranks 13th out of the 17 nations included with 51% of income required to cover these basic outgoing.
Only Austria, France, Germany, and Switzerland saw these costs account for a lower percentage of income, with Switzerland the most affordable of the lot coming in at just 33%.
So if an increase in TV license costs is making you want to tune out, spare a thought for those renting in Montenegro. While the cost of a TV licence is one of the lowest, couple it with rent, utilities and internet and the basic cost of renting eats up 83% of the average salary.
These costs also equate to between 70%-79% of income in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, Albania, Slovakia, Croatia, Greece, and Portugal, with the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Ireland and Italy also home to a higher cost of living as a percentage of monthly income when compared to the UK.
Founder and CEO of Howsy, Calum Brannan, commented:
“There is certainly an argument to be made about the relevance of a TV licence in an age where the majority of media consumed is done via additional channels to both live TV and more specifically the BBC.
However, when you consider it within the wider cost of living and what it equates to in relation to the earnings available, the UK is actually one of the more affordable places to get by in the rental sector.
While this still doesn’t make it easy, spare a thought for those renting in the likes of Montenegro where a much vast proportion of income goes on getting by despite the cost of a TV licence coming in about £120 cheaper than it does here.”
|
Rankings by cost of living as a percentage of income*
|
|
|
Nation
|
Cost of living as a percentage of monthly income
|
|
Montenegro
|
83%
|
|
Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
79%
|
|
Poland
|
79%
|
|
Albania
|
77%
|
|
Slovakia
|
76%
|
|
Croatia
|
74%
|
|
Greece
|
71%
|
|
Portugal
|
70%
|
|
Czech Republic
|
69%
|
|
Slovenia
|
63%
|
|
Ireland
|
62%
|
|
Italy
|
57%
|
|
United Kingdom
|
51%
|
|
Austria
|
50%
|
|
France
|
44%
|
|
Germany
|
44%
|
|
Switzerland
|
33%
|
|
*Cost of living includes rental cost, TV licence, internet and utilities on a monthly basis
|
|
|
Rankings by TV Licence cost
|
|
|
Nation
|
TV licence cost (per year)
|
|
Switzerland
|
£288.92
|
|
Austria
|
£242.33
|
|
Germany
|
£177.96
|
|
United Kingdom
|
£154.50
|
|
Ireland
|
£135.59
|
|
Slovenia
|
£129.65
|
|
France
|
£117.79
|
|
Croatia
|
£116.10
|
|
Italy
|
£76.27
|
|
Czech Republic
|
£54.69
|
|
Slovakia
|
£47.18
|
|
Poland
|
£39.64
|
|
Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
£38.98
|
|
Montenegro
|
£35.59
|
|
Greece
|
£30.51
|
|
Portugal
|
£27.96
|
|
Albania
|
£5.58
|
|
Sources
|
|
|
TV licence costs
|
|
|
Average Living Costs
|
|
You May Also Enjoy
Breaking Property News 30/6/26
What the average asking price buys across Great Britain
3 in 5 homes listed for sale since January are still on the market
Mortgage approvals down 11% in May
Money and Credit – May 2026
