Ask anyone about St Patrick’s Day, and they’ll start talking about Guinness. Every year, 13,000,000 pints go down in just one day. The thick, dark, ruby-coloured magic in a glass is revered across the globe, and it remains one of the most popular pints in the world.
But if you’ve been keeping a keen eye on the taps, you might have noticed that your pennies don’t pour as many pints as they used to. Yes, the cost of living crisis and inflation over the past few years has pushed up the price of Guinness.
Not to worry, though, because UK Debt Expert have 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.
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Has the price of Guinness changed over the past year?
According to research carried out by Creditfix last year, the average price of a pint of Guinness stood at around £4.15, but this year, St Patrick’s Day punters will have to stomach handing over more for their pints.
Our research has found that overall, the average cost for a pint of Guinness has risen by a staggering 8% meaning those celebrating this year will need to pay £4.48 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 Bolton will be particularly happy as it becomes the cheapest place in the UK for a pint of the black stuff. Another newcomer to the top five is Rotherham as it moved up three places to become the third cheapest place in the UK for a pint of Guinness.
Cheapest pints in the UK
| City | Average cost of a pint of Guinness |
| Bolton | £3.83 |
| Swindon | £3.84 |
| Rotherham | £3.95 |
| Stoke on Trent | £4.01 |
| Swansea | £4.07 |
| Coventry | £4.10 |
| Middlesborough | £4.11 |
| Stockport | £4.12 |
| Sunderland | £4.18 |
| Hull | £4.22 |
Most expensive pints in the UK
Unfortunately, not all people will be so lucky when they’re handed a cold Guinness this March 17. Londoners in particular are spending up to 28% more than the national average, nearing almost £6 per pint. The capital is joined by Edinburgh, Brighton and Cambridge in seeing their average prices surpass a fiver for the first time ever.
While Edinburgh and Glasgow featured in the list of the most expensive, some might be more surprised to see cities in the north of England on the list – York and newly added Liverpool were among the priciest for pints across the UK.
| City | Average cost of a pint of Guinness |
| London | £5.73 |
| Edinburgh | £5.33 |
| Brighton | £5.11 |
| Cambridge | £5.08 |
| Liverpool | £4.92 |
| Portsmouth | £4.84 |
| Oxford | £4.83 |
| Reading | £4.83 |
| York | £4.82 |
| Milton Keynes | £4.73 |
How expensive is a pint of Guinness in my city?
| City | Average cost of a pint of Guinness |
| London | £5.73 |
| Edinburgh | £5.33 |
| Brighton | £5.11 |
| Cambridge | £5.08 |
| Liverpool | £4.92 |
| Portsmouth | £4.84 |
| Oxford | £4.83 |
| Reading | £4.83 |
| York | £4.82 |
| Milton Keynes | £4.73 |
| Glasgow | £4.69 |
| Watford | £4.68 |
| Cardiff | £4.64 |
| Dundee | £4.64 |
| Bristol | £4.60 |
| Birmingham | £4.60 |
| Peterborough | £4.55 |
| Aberdeen | £4.50 |
| Newcastle | £4.48 |
| Leeds | £4.48 |
| Blackpool | £4.46 |
| Bournemouth | £4.45 |
| Norwich | £4.43 |
| Northampton | £4.38 |
| Poole | £4.38 |
| Nottingam | £4.37 |
| Gloucester | £4.35 |
| Plymouth | £4.35 |
| Ipswich | £4.33 |
| Southampton | £4.32 |
| Manchester | £4.30 |
| Sheffield | £4.28 |
| Lincoln | £4.28 |
| Leicester | £4.26 |
| Derby | £4.23 |
| Southend-on-Sea | £4.23 |
| Hull | £4.22 |
| Sunderland | £4.18 |
| Stockport | £4.12 |
| Middlesborough | £4.11 |
| Coventry | £4.10 |
| Swansea | £4.07 |
| Stoke on Trent | £4.01 |
| Rotherham | £3.95 |
| Swindon | £3.84 |
| Bolton | £3.83 |
It’s easy for big holidays and celebrations often associated with drinking alcohol 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 in order to fund their lifestyle habits, by dipping into their overdraft or credit card until it becomes a never-ending cycle of doing more than you can afford in order 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 to help them with the best debt solutions to help people regain control of their finances. Find out more here.
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 2024.
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.
UK Debt Expert compared this year’s prices to costs analysed by Creditfix in 2023, to show how the cost of a Guinness in UK pubs has increased over the last twelve months.
Data correct as of March 2024.
