Guinness and St Patrick’s Day often go hand in hand. Every year, 13 million pints are drunk in a single day.
The thick, ruby-coloured magic in a glass is revered across the globe, and remains the go-to order for many.
But if you’ve been a fan over the years, you may have noticed that your pennies don’t go as far as they used to. Unfortunately, the cost-of-living crisis and inflation have hit everyone’s favourite drink, pushing up Guinness prices over the last few years.
Not to worry, though, because the team at UK Debt Expert has toured the nation in search of that perfectly priced pint. We searched across some of the most popular chains in each city in the UK to look at the average cost of a Guinness across the UK – and it turns out, no two cities are the same.
Has the price of Guinness changed over the past year?
According to our data from last year, the average price of a Guinness stood at around £4.71, but this year, St Patrick’s Day punters will need to hand over more for their pint.
Our research has found that the average cost of a pint of Guinness has risen by 15% since 2025, meaning those celebrating this year will need to pay £5.41 per pint.
But there are some bargains to be found if you’re lucky enough to be living in one of these cities.
Guinness lovers in Bristol will be pleased to find out that it’s the cheapest place in the UK for a pint of the black stuff, and remains one of only two places where you can find a pint for under £5. Another newcomer to the top five is Glasgow – the only other place you’ll find a Guinness under a fiver – which has moved from being in the top ten most expensive pints, to the second cheapest.
Cheapest pints in the UK
| City | Average cost of a pint of Guinness |
| Bristol | £4.78 |
| Glasgow | £4.93 |
| Stockport | £5.03 |
| Hull | £5.08 |
| Blackpool | £5.12 |
| Bolton | £5.12 |
| Coventry | £5.15 |
| Dundee | £5.15 |
| Gloucester | £5.15 |
| Newcastle | £5.15 |
Most expensive pints in the UK
Unfortunately, not all people will be so lucky when they’re handed a cold stout this 17 March.
Londoners are spending up to 24% more than the national average, seeing average prices nearing £7 per pint. The capital is joined by Cambridge, Brighton, Edinburgh and Oxford as the most expensive for a pint of Guinness, all of which are the first places outside the capital to surpass £6.
While Edinburgh and Cambridge featured among the most expensive, some might be more surprised to see cities in the north of England on the list, with Liverpool moving up six places to become the ninth priciest for a pint of Guinness across the UK, and Leeds moving up four places.
| City | Average cost of a pint of Guinness |
| London | £6.87 |
| Cambridge | £6.38 |
| Brighton | £6.13 |
| Edinburgh | £6.08 |
| Oxford | £6.02 |
| York | £5.85 |
| Leeds | £5.72 |
| Northampton | £5.70 |
| Liverpool | £5.58 |
| Watford | £5.58 |
How much is a pint of Guinness in my city?
| City | Average cost of a pint of Guinness 2026 |
| Aberdeen | £5.23 |
| Birmingham | £5.40 |
| Blackpool | £5.12 |
| Bolton | £5.12 |
| Bournemouth | £5.52 |
| Brighton | £6.13 |
| Bristol | £4.78 |
| Cambridge | £6.38 |
| Cardiff | £5.37 |
| Coventry | £5.15 |
| Derby | £5.32 |
| Dundee | £5.15 |
| Edinburgh | £6.08 |
| Glasgow | £4.93 |
| Gloucester | £5.15 |
| Hull | £5.08 |
| Ipswich | £5.28 |
| Leeds | £5.72 |
| Leicester | £5.38 |
| Lincoln | £5.18 |
| Liverpool | £5.58 |
| London | £6.87 |
| Manchester | £5.57 |
| Middlesborough | £5.22 |
| Milton Keynes | £5.52 |
| Newcastle | £5.15 |
| Northampton | £5.70 |
| Norwich | £5.48 |
| Nottingham | £5.22 |
| Oxford | £6.02 |
| Peterborough | £5.45 |
| Plymouth | £5.27 |
| Poole | £5.33 |
| Portsmouth | £5.37 |
| Reading | £5.42 |
| Rotherham | £5.15 |
| Sheffield | £5.23 |
| Southampton | £5.37 |
| Southend-on-Sea | £5.17 |
| Stockport | £5.03 |
| Stoke on Trent | £5.37 |
| Sunderland | £5.17 |
| Swansea | £5.20 |
| Swindon | £5.20 |
| Watford | £5.58 |
| York | £5.85 |
How much has the price of Guinness changed over the past three years?
Thanks to social media, Guinness has gained a new fan base, Gen Z. There are now social media accounts dedicated to bad pours, posts highlighting A-List celebrities drinking the black stuff, and challenges like splitting the G.
This surge in popularity has been met with significant price increases – Guinness drinkers across the UK have seen a 30.4% price hike from 2023.
Guinness lovers in Swindon may have noticed that they’re passing over more pennies for a pint now. In 2023, you may have been paying £3.48, whereas today you’d be paying £5.20 – a 49% price increase.
Similarly, Stoke-on-Trent has seen a massive 45% increase since 2023, as punters can now expect to pay £5.37 compared to £3.70.
Biggest three-year price hikes in the UK
| City | 2023 Guinness price | 2024 Guinness price | 2025 Guinness price | 2026 Guinness price | Price increase |
| Swindon | £3.48 | £3.84 | £4.28 | £5.20 | 49% |
| Stoke on Trent | £3.70 | £4.01 | £4.36 | £5.37 | 45% |
| Leeds | £4.00 | £4.48 | £4.82 | £5.72 | 43% |
| Cambridge | £4.58 | £5.08 | £5.36 | £6.38 | 39% |
| Swansea | £3.74 | £4.07 | £4.55 | £5.20 | 39% |
| Middlesborough | £3.77 | £4.11 | £4.68 | £5.22 | 38% |
| Manchester | £4.02 | £4.30 | £4.57 | £5.57 | 38% |
| Coventry | £3.72 | £4.10 | £4.46 | £5.15 | 38% |
| Leicester | £3.92 | £4.26 | £4.68 | £5.38 | 37% |
| Swindon | £4.05 | £4.73 | £4.50 | £5.52 | 36% |
Smallest three-year price hikes in the UK
Luckily for Bristolians, Guinness has remained at a steady price, only increasing by 10% in the past three years, and there has been no price change in the last year. This resistance to inflation has helped crown Bristol as the cheapest city for a pint of the stout.
Glasgow has also held its own against Guinness inflation in comparison to the rest of the country. In the past three years, the price of pints has increased 12%, helping to boost it from one of the most expensive cities to the second cheapest.
| City | 2023 Guinness price | 2024 Guinness price | 2025 Guinness price | 2026 Guinness price | Price increase |
| Bristol | £4.34 | £4.60 | £4.78 | £4.78 | 10% |
| Glasgow | £4.40 | £4.69 | £4.93 | £4.93 | 12% |
| Blackpool | £4.45 | £4.46 | £4.53 | £5.12 | 15% |
| Portsmouth | £4.52 | £4.84 | £4.91 | £5.37 | 19% |
| Reading | £4.40 | £4.83 | £5.05 | £5.42 | 23% |
| Cardiff | £4.33 | £4.64 | £4.61 | £5.37 | 24% |
| Birmingham | £4.33 | £4.60 | £4.60 | £5.40 | 25% |
| Dundee | £4.13 | £4.64 | £4.60 | £5.15 | 25% |
| Edinburgh | £4.87 | £5.33 | £5.66 | £6.08 | 25% |
| Brighton | £4.90 | £5.11 | £4.99 | £6.13 | 25% |
It’s easy for big holidays and celebrations to end up costing a lot more than anticipated – especially amidst the cost-of-living crisis.
If you don’t properly budget for socialising, some people can rack up debt to fund their lifestyle, repeatedly using overdrafts or credit cards until they’re trapped in a never-ending cycle of spending more than they can afford just to have fun.
Tackling credit card debt can be daunting, especially if you feel like you’re unsure where to start to clear your debts. Our own professional advisors support people on a daily basis, offering advice on debt solutions that could help regain control of their finances.
Methodology
UK Debt Expert looked at three pub chains in each of the biggest cities in the UK – including Wetherspoons, O’Neills, Hungry Horse and Greene King. Data correct as of February 2026.
Using the apps of each pub chain, we discovered how much they’re currently charging for a pint of Guinness in three pubs in each city, to establish a national and regional average.
Data correct as of February 2026.
