Picture Your Future

Retirement Living Standards

The Retirement Living Standards, based on independent research by Loughborough University, have been developed to help individuals picture what kind of lifestyle they could have in retirement and the costs involved.

The figures show how much someone may spend at retirement across three different living standards, they are an estimated expenditure, not an income. They assume you own your own home with no mortgage so you may need to add or reduce other costs depending on your circumstances, such as mortgage, rent or social care costs and any income tax on your pension. Also remember, your income may be taxed, so plan for that too.

The Standards aim to offer a clear and realistic view of people’s retirement spending in the UK, helping you use your current lifestyle and cost of living as a guide for what you might need in the future. The figures can be shown using two different options, ‘two-person’ household for those living with another person and having a joint expenditure or a ‘one-person’ household for those living alone on one income. Within the spending categories, the specific breakdown of costs and how they are shared will vary from household to household.

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Introducing the Standards

The Standards show what the cost of life in retirement might look like at the three different levels and what a range of common expenses for each might be. Some people may combine elements across different standards, tailoring spending to suit personal preferences or circumstances.

Most people (around 70%) retire as part of a two-person household, allowing them to share living costs and reduce expenses.

For many people their private and State Pension (full State Pension for 2025/26 is £230.25 a week, £11,973 per year) and other savings could go a long way towards paying these outgoings. This means, two people in receipt of the full State Pension will already have enough to cover the Minimum level costs.

Explore the categories to picture what life in retirement could look like for each of the Standards.

Minimum

One person: £13,400 Two person: £21,600

The Minimum Standard covers the cost of all your basic needs, and some left over for fun. A self-catering or half-board holiday in the UK, eating out once a month and some affordable leisure activities with family and friends once or twice a week.

Moderate

One person: £31,700 Two person: £43,900

The Moderate Standard provides more financial security and flexibility than the Minimum. An annual overseas holiday and a long weekend off peak break in the UK, and a take-away a week and eating out a couple of times a month.

Comfortable

One person: £43,900 Two person: £60,600

The Comfortable Standard allows more spontaneity to the Moderate lifestyle, including extra-long weekends away in the UK, some day trips extra spending allowance on eating out and social activities.

Please show values for: One person Two person

	Minimum	Moderate	Comfortable
One person household	£13,400 a year	£31,700 a year	£43,900 a year
What standard of living could you have?	Covers all your needs, with some left over for fun	More financial security and flexibility	More financial freedom and some luxuries
House	DIY £200 a year to maintain condition of your property.	£500 a year to maintain condition of your property, £300 contingency.	£600 a year to maintain condition of your property, £300 contingency.
Food	Around £55 a week on groceries, £30 a month on food out of the home, £12 per month on takeaways.	Around £56 a week on groceries, £32 a week on food out of the home, £11 a week on takeaways, £106 a month to take others out for a monthly meal.	Around £75 a week on food, £42 a week on food out of the home, £21 a week on takeaways, £106 a month to take others out for a monthly meal.
Transport	No car, free bus pass, £30 per month for two taxi trips, £180 per year to cover 3 rail journeys.	3-year-old small car, replaced every 7 years, £22 a month on taxis, £104 per year on rail fares.	3-year-old small car, replaced every 5 years, £22 a month on taxis, £208 per year on rail fares.
Holidays & Leisure	A week long UK holiday. TV license and broadband plus a streaming service with ads. £20 per week for activities.	A fortnight 3* all-inclusive holiday in the Med and a long weekend off peak break in the UK. TV license and broadband plus two streaming services. £43 per week for activities.	A fortnight 4* holiday in the Med with around £100 per person spending money and 3 long weekend breaks in the UK with £400 spending money per break. Extensive bundled broadband, streaming and TV entertainment subscription. £54 a week for activities.
Clothing & Personal	Up to £450 for clothing and footwear.	Up to £1,548 for clothing and footwear.	Up to £1,548 for clothing and footwear.
Helping Others	£20 for each birthday and Xmas present.	£30 for each birthday and Xmas present, £200 a year charity donation, £1,000 for supporting family members e.g. paying for grandchildren activities.	£50 for each birthday and Xmas present, £300 per year charity donation, £1,000 family support.

One person household	House	Food	Transport	Holidays & Leisure	Clothing & Personal	Helping Others
Minimum: £13,400 Covers all your needs, with some left over for fun	Minimum: DIY £200 a year to maintain condition of your property.	Minimum: Around £55 a week on groceries, £30 a month on food out of the home, £12 per month on takeaways.	Minimum: No car, free bus pass, £30 per month for two taxi trips, £180 per year to cover 3 rail journeys.	Minimum: A week long UK holiday. TV license and broadband plus a streaming service with ads. £20 per week for activities.	Minimum: Up to £450 for clothing and footwear.	Minimum: £20 for each birthday and Xmas present.
Moderate: £31,700 More financial security and flexibility	Moderate: £500 a year to maintain condition of your property, £300 contingency.	Moderate: Around £56 a week on groceries, £32 a week on food out of the home, £11 a week on takeaways, £106 a month to take others out for a monthly meal.	Moderate: 3-year-old small car, replaced every 7 years, £22 a month on taxis, £104 per year on rail fares.	Moderate: A fortnight 3* all-inclusive holiday in the Med and a long weekend off peak break in the UK. TV license and broadband plus two streaming services. £43 per week for activities.	Moderate: Up to £1,548 for clothing and footwear.	Moderate: £30 for each birthday and Xmas present, £200 a year charity donation, £1,000 for supporting family members e.g. paying for grandchildren activities.
Comfortable: £43,900 More financial freedom and some luxuries	Comfortable: £600 a year to maintain condition of your property, £300 contingency.	Comfortable: Around £75 a week on food, £42 a week on food out of the home, £21 a week on takeaways, £106 a month to take others out for a monthly meal.	Comfortable: 3-year-old small car, replaced every 5 years, £22 a month on taxis, £208 per year on rail fares.	Comfortable: A fortnight 4* holiday in the Med with around £100 per person spending money and 3 long weekend breaks in the UK with £400 spending money per break. Extensive bundled broadband, streaming and TV entertainment subscription. £54 a week for activities.	Comfortable: Up to £1,548 for clothing and footwear.	Comfortable: £50 for each birthday and Xmas present, £300 per year charity donation, £1,000 family support.

One person household

House

Food

Transport

Holidays & Leisure

Clothing & Personal

Helping Others

Minimum:

£13,400

Covers all your needs, with some left over for fun

Minimum:

DIY £200 a year to maintain condition of your property.

Minimum:

Around £55 a week on groceries, £30 a month on food out of the home, £12 per month on takeaways.

Minimum:

No car, free bus pass, £30 per month for two taxi trips, £180 per year to cover 3 rail journeys.

Minimum:

A week long UK holiday. TV license and broadband plus a streaming service with ads. £20 per week for activities.

Minimum:

Up to £450 for clothing and footwear.

Minimum:

£20 for each birthday and Xmas present.

Moderate:

£31,700

More financial security and flexibility

Moderate:

£500 a year to maintain condition of your property, £300 contingency.

Moderate:

Around £56 a week on groceries, £32 a week on food out of the home, £11 a week on takeaways, £106 a month to take others out for a monthly meal.

Moderate:

3-year-old small car, replaced every 7 years, £22 a month on taxis, £104 per year on rail fares.

Moderate:

A fortnight 3* all-inclusive holiday in the Med and a long weekend off peak break in the UK. TV license and broadband plus two streaming services. £43 per week for activities.

Moderate:

Up to £1,548 for clothing and footwear.

Moderate:

£30 for each birthday and Xmas present, £200 a year charity donation, £1,000 for supporting family members e.g. paying for grandchildren activities.

Comfortable:

£43,900

More financial freedom and some luxuries

Comfortable:

£600 a year to maintain condition of your property, £300 contingency.

Comfortable:

Around £75 a week on food, £42 a week on food out of the home, £21 a week on takeaways, £106 a month to take others out for a monthly meal.

Comfortable:

3-year-old small car, replaced every 5 years, £22 a month on taxis, £208 per year on rail fares.

Comfortable:

A fortnight 4* holiday in the Med with around £100 per person spending money and 3 long weekend breaks in the UK with £400 spending money per break. Extensive bundled broadband, streaming and TV entertainment subscription. £54 a week for activities.

Comfortable:

Up to £1,548 for clothing and footwear.

Comfortable:

£50 for each birthday and Xmas present, £300 per year charity donation, £1,000 family support.

*The figures shown are the amounts of annual expenditure required to achieve the living standard (ie they are not gross income figures).

Our mission

The Retirement Living Standards are here to help savers think in a practical way about the kind of lifestyle they might lead in retirement and then be able to plan how they can achieve that lifestyle.

Infographic showing the three retirement living standard yearly totals for singles and couples

Everyone's financial circumstances are different, the Standards provide a guide based on common costs for many people in retirement – but there will be a pick-and-mix element, some retirees may find they have elements of all three Levels depending on their own future priorities.

By giving savers a general expenditure figure, our hope is savers can then start developing their own personal targets based on individual circumstances and aspirations.

We’ve created examples to show what kind of living standard different people could have in retirement depending on their salaries, household and savings.

Show me what this means for people in the UK

Tell me the detail