Northerners can expect to pay around 10% less on a night-out with friends than southerners, according to research from leading UK payments processor Worldpay.
On average, those living in the south expect to pay £3.54 for a pint of beer while northerners expect it to set them back just £3.19.
There is also a 10% difference when buying a round of drinks consisting of a pint of beer and a small glass of wine. Southerners expect to pay £7.27 while, for northerners, it is £6.54.
More than a quarter of southerners (27%) are now resigned to having to pay at least £4 for a pint, compared to just 13% of northerners.
Research group Toluna surveyed 1,500 people, looking at many of the components of a night-out, and found northerners consistently expect to pay around 10% less for many standard items. A five-mile taxi journey will set southerners back £8.55 on average, while northerners expect to pay £7.60 – a difference of 11%.
A main course in a pub, such as a burger and chips, will likely set southerners back £8.27 on average, while northerners expect to pay £7.23 – 12.5% less. While those are averages, nearly half of southerners (47%) would not expect change from £10 if buying a main course in a pub, compared to 31% among northerners.
Dave Hobday, managing director at Worldpay UK, said: “A lot gets written about house prices in the south and the north, but at a time when owning a home is a distant dream for many people we wanted to know how much people pay for the things they enjoy, such as a pint with their mates down the pub.
“It is clear from these results that northerners are getting a better deal, especially when every tenth pint is free. It’s almost like northern pubs come with their own loyalty scheme, though I wouldn’t recommend anybody drinks 10 pints in one go.”
Worldpay also looked at other typical items people buy and found a consistent pattern across almost all. For example, southerners expect to pay 12.6% more for essentials such as a birthday card for their other half. Fish and chips is also likely to set southerners back 8.5% more, and a take-away curry comes with a price tag that is 13% higher down south.
Pictured: Stonegate Pub Company’s Missoula bar in Manchester
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