London ranked one of the priciest cities to watch football in the pub
With the football calendar in full swing, Champions League nights, Europa League clashes, and relentless weekend fixtures, pubs across the UK are once again packed with fans watching every pass, tackle and last-minute equaliser. For many supporters, the pub remains the heart of the matchday ritual. A pint in hand, a plate of pub grub on the table, and the roar of fellow fans when the ball hits the net.
But while the atmosphere may be the same nationwide, the cost of enjoying it certainly isn’t. Depending on where you live, following the football with friends at the pub can be either a budget-friendly habit or an unexpectedly expensive one.
To find out where fans can enjoy the match without breaking the bank, researchers at Betmaster analysed 60 UK cities, comparing the average price of a pint, the cost of pub food, and the typical travel cost to reach a pub.
London ranks 58th overall for football pub affordability, with pints averaging £6.50 and pub meals around £20. Beer prices in the city are among the highest in the UK, and combined with costly meals, a typical night out watching football can quickly become expensive.
Travel to pubs averages £11.90, which adds significantly to the overall cost of a matchday evening. Fans in London can still enjoy the vibrant pub atmosphere and matchday excitement, but the high prices for drinks, food, and travel make it one of the priciest cities for following football in the UK.
Taking the top spot is Preston. The Lancashire city stands out thanks to the lowest food prices in the entire study at £12.50 on average, while pints remain reasonably priced at £4.00, ranking fifth overall.
At the end of the table sits Lisburn. The city records the highest travel cost to reach pubs at £16, while both pint and food prices are also among the highest analysed. Together, these factors make it the most expensive location in the UK for fans hoping to catch a match over a drink.
Oxford and London round out the top three most expensive areas. Oxford records the most expensive pints in the entire study at £6.80, while pub meals average £20, making a casual match night a costly affair. London, meanwhile, combines £6.50 pints with high food prices and expensive travel costs, meaning a typical football evening can quickly add up.
List of the cheapest UK cities to watch football matches:
| Rank | City | Average Beer Price | Average Food Price | Average Travel to Pub Cost | Total Score |
| 1 | Preston | £4.00 | £12.50 | £5.84 | 90.23 |
| 2 | Sunderland | £3.50 | £13.90 | £5.97 | 89.11 |
| 3 | Doncaster | £3.30 | £15.30 | £4.80 | 89.01 |
| 4 | Kingston upon Hull | £3.30 | £15.30 | £5.52 | 86.87 |
| 5 | Bradford | £3.30 | £16.00 | £6.09 | 82.43 |
| 6 | Derry | £4.00 | £14.00 | £6.64 | 81.97 |
| 7 | Newry | £4.50 | £14.00 | £7.45 | 74.79 |
| 8 | Wrexham | £4.00 | £15.00 | £8.30 | 73.11 |
| 9 | Sheffield | £4.40 | £15.00 | £7.09 | 72.90 |
| 10 | Wolverhampton | £4.80 | £15.00 | £6.00 | 72.33 |
| 11 | Dundee | £4.30 | £16.00 | £6.47 | 71.77 |
| 12 | Coventry | £4.50 | £15.00 | £7.50 | 70.72 |
| 13 | Southend-on-Sea | £4.70 | £15.00 | £7.00 | 70.31 |
| 14 | Portsmouth | £4.70 | £14.90 | £7.54 | 69.09 |
| 15 | Chichester | £4.80 | £14.80 | £7.60 | 68.35 |
| 16 | Gloucester | £4.80 | £15.00 | £7.34 | 68.34 |
| 17 | Chester | £5.00 | £15.00 | £6.79 | 68.08 |
| 18 | Milton Keynes | £5.00 | £15.00 | £7.00 | 67.45 |
| 19 | Nottingham | £4.50 | £17.60 | £5.36 | 66.90 |
| 20 | Leicester | £4.75 | £16.00 | £6.80 | 66.51 |
| 21 | Cardiff | £5.00 | £15.00 | £7.34 | 66.44 |
| 22 | Stoke-on-Trent | £5.00 | £16.00 | £6.13 | 66.12 |
| 23 | Newport | £5.00 | £15.00 | £7.64 | 65.55 |
| 24 | St Albans | £4.30 | £16.00 | £8.58 | 65.49 |
| 25 | Durham | £4.50 | £15.00 | £9.37 | 65.16 |
| 26 | Lancaster | £5.00 | £15.60 | £6.99 | 65.13 |
| 26 | Leeds | £5.00 | £15.60 | £6.99 | 65.13 |
| 28 | Perth | £4.80 | £15.00 | £8.57 | 64.68 |
| 29 | Stirling | £4.50 | £16.00 | £8.40 | 64.13 |
| 30 | Lincoln | £4.75 | £18.00 | £5.25 | 63.28 |
| 31 | Newcastle upon Tyne | £5.00 | £15.00 | £8.57 | 62.78 |
| 32 | Swansea | £4.50 | £16.00 | £9.00 | 62.34 |
| 33 | Hereford | £4.50 | £15.00 | £10.62 | 61.44 |
| 34 | Armagh | £4.80 | £17.00 | £7.04 | 61.39 |
| 34 | Glasgow | £4.80 | £17.00 | £7.04 | 61.39 |
| 36 | Birmingham | £5.00 | £15.00 | £9.20 | 60.90 |
| 37 | Wakefield | £5.50 | £15.00 | £7.99 | 59.74 |
| 38 | Peterborough | £5.50 | £15.00 | £8.00 | 59.71 |
| 39 | Bristol | £6.00 | £15.00 | £6.50 | 59.42 |
| 40 | Aberdeen | £5.00 | £16.00 | £8.40 | 59.36 |
| 41 | Manchester | £5.50 | £15.00 | £8.26 | 58.94 |
| 42 | Bath | £6.00 | £15.00 | £6.75 | 58.67 |
| 43 | Colchester | £5.20 | £16.00 | £8.00 | 58.65 |
| 44 | Exeter | £5.50 | £15.00 | £8.72 | 57.57 |
| 45 | Belfast | £6.00 | £15.00 | £7.45 | 56.59 |
| 46 | Chelmsford | £5.50 | £17.50 | £6.09 | 55.59 |
| 46 | Norwich | £5.50 | £17.50 | £6.09 | 55.59 |
| 48 | Liverpool | £5.00 | £16.00 | £9.70 | 55.50 |
| 49 | Plymouth | £5.00 | £17.00 | £8.72 | 54.49 |
| 50 | Derby | £5.00 | £20.00 | £6.92 | 48.08 |
| 51 | Worcester | £5.00 | £15.00 | £13.83 | 47.13 |
| 52 | Edinburgh | £6.00 | £18.00 | £8.20 | 42.59 |
| 53 | Brighton and Hove | £6.50 | £16.00 | £9.80 | 40.91 |
| 54 | Cambridge | £5.50 | £17.50 | £12.00 | 38.01 |
| 55 | York | £5.00 | £21.00 | £9.35 | 36.93 |
| 56 | Southampton | £6.00 | £20.00 | £7.70 | 36.24 |
| 57 | Winchester | £6.00 | £20.00 | £8.30 | 34.45 |
| 58 | London | £6.50 | £20.00 | £11.90 | 18.98 |
| 59 | Oxford | £6.80 | £20.00 | £11.00 | 18.80 |
| 60 | Lisburn | £6.10 | £18.50 | £16.00 | 16.47 |