Southampton residents could save more than £470 a month by swapping takeaways and restaurant meals for home cooking, according to new research comparing food costs across some of the UK’s largest cities.
The study, carried out by delivery insurance provider Street Cover, found that Southampton had the largest income-adjusted difference between regularly dining out and preparing meals at home.
Based on the research, eating out or ordering food once a day in Southampton would cost around £675 a month, compared with £200.49 for cooking at home – including groceries and the estimated share of gas, electricity and water used for cooking.
That leaves a difference of £474.52 a month, equivalent to 18.98 per cent of the city’s average monthly net salary.
Reading came a close second. While the estimated monthly cost of eating out was also £675, the cost of cooking at home was lower at £181, producing the largest cash saving among the cities in the top 10 at £494 a month. When adjusted for income, the gap stood at 18.94 per cent.
Liverpool ranked third, where the study put monthly dining-out costs at £641.25 compared with £185.79 for home cooking. This represents a saving of £455.46, or 18.38 per cent when adjusted against average income.
Guildford and Oxford completed the top five. Residents in Guildford could save an estimated £473.38 a month by cooking at home, while the figure for Oxford was £470.24.
Elsewhere, Brighton recorded a monthly difference of £393.28, followed by Edinburgh at £399.02, Belfast at £337.54, Glasgow at £375.27 and Leeds at £339.17.
Leeds had the lowest estimated cost of dining out among the top 10 at £531.56 a month, but choosing to cook at home could still save the equivalent of 14.23 per cent of average net income.
The research compared the estimated cost of eating out once a day with the cost of a grocery basket and the proportion of household energy bills attributed to cooking. Cities were then ranked according to the difference in spending as a share of average monthly income.
While the figures point towards potentially substantial savings from making greater use of the kitchen, Alasdair Taylore, Head of Street Cover, said price was only one factor influencing how people choose to eat.
“The financial aspect is only a part of the equation when it comes to food,” he said.
“First, deliveries help to save hours before and after work that are spent on cooking. Then, there is also the variety and quality of the food.
“Constantly cooking yourself takes a toll, and not everyone can make varied and nutritious meals that are necessary for the health of the body. There always will be a markup for that, as well as for all the labour and time that went into cooking and delivering the food to the door.”
The findings nevertheless highlight the size of the financial incentive for consumers to prepare more meals at home – with households in each of the top 10 cities potentially saving more than £330 a month.
For housewares retailers, that continued focus on eating at home could also provide an opportunity to demonstrate how cookware, kitchen tools and small appliances can help consumers make everyday cooking quicker and easier.
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