The British National (Overseas) visa scheme has opened up new opportunities for many Hong Kong residents seeking a fresh start in the UK. Just in the last few years, there have been a surge of BNO holders with 2021 having seen almost 100,000 BNO holders arrive in the UK, around 57,000 in 2022, around 37,000 in 2023, and over 18,000 in 2024 as of July 2024 [1]. A 2022 survey report showed that 17% of respondents were residing in the North West of UK, 22.2% in London, and 23.4% in the South East of UK [2].
Summary
- Ealing (London) is the most expensive location to rent, whether it’s a one, two, or three bedroom property.
- London, in general, is the most expensive to rent, pretty much doubling in rent compared with the cheapest overall location, Edinburgh (Scotland).
- Manchester has seen the highest increase in all one, two, and three bedroom property rental between 2021 and 2024, with an increase of around 30%, while the lowest increase has been Kingston upon Thames (London) with around 15%.
- The cheapest three bedroom property to rent is Nottingham (£950).
- Manchester has the lowest energy prices (£2,538 in 2023), while Edinburgh has the highest (£2,643 in 2023), around a 4% difference.
總結
- 倫敦伊靈區（Ealing）是租金最昂貴的地區，不論是一房、兩房還是三房單位。
- 整體而言，倫敦的租金最昂貴，與最便宜的地區（蘇格蘭愛丁堡）相比，租金幾乎翻倍。
- 曼徹斯特在2021年至2024年間，所有一房、兩房和三房物業的租金增幅最高，約增加了30%；而增幅最低的是倫敦的泰晤士河畔京士頓，約增加了15%。
- 最便宜的三房物業租金在諾丁漢，每月£950。
- 曼徹斯特的能源價格最低，2023年為£2,538，而愛丁堡的能源價格最高，2023年為£2,643，相差約4%。
Top 10 choices in the UK for BNO Holders
A 2021 survey [3] discovered that the following were the top 10 choices in the UK:
| Ranking |
Location |
| 1 |
Manchester |
| 2 |
Birmingham |
| 3 |
Reading |
| 4 |
Bristol |
| 5 |
Nottingham |
| 6 |
Oxfordshire |
| 7 |
Surrey |
| 8 |
Kingston upon Thames (London) |
| 9 |
Ealing (London) |
| 10 |
Edinburgh |
Key factors that influenced housing choices include housing costs (with majority of housing from private rentals), employment opportunities, availability of school places, access to public transport, healthcare facilities, and neighbourhood safety. While the report was from 2021, the cost of living and energy prices started to surge near the end of 2021, so how does the housing costs look like in 2024?
Cost of living for the top 10 locations in the UK for BNO Holders
| Manchester |
1 bed |
2 bed |
3 bed |
Electricity bill (North West) |
Gas bill (North West) |
| Jul 2021 |
£689 |
£854 |
£981 |
£753 |
£558 |
| Jul 2022 |
£725 |
£903 |
£1,044 |
£1,165 |
£1,135 |
| Jul 2023 |
£799 |
£993 |
£1,149 |
£1,249 |
£1,289 |
| Jul 2024 |
£902 |
£1,117 |
£1,294 |
- |
- |
| Birmingham |
1 bed |
2 bed |
3 bed |
Electricity bill (West Midlands) |
Gas bill (West Midlands) |
| Jul 2021 |
£606 |
£736 |
£824 |
£766 |
£558 |
| Jul 2022 |
£620 |
£757 |
£852 |
£1,172 |
£1,131 |
| Jul 2023 |
£672 |
£819 |
£923 |
£1,262 |
£1,269 |
| Jul 2024 |
£752 |
£913 |
£1028 |
- |
- |
| Reading |
1 bed |
2 bed |
3 bed |
Electricity bill (South East) |
Gas bill (South East) |
| Jul 2021 |
£823 |
£1,035 |
£1,230 |
£791 |
£565 |
| Jul 2022 |
£850 |
£1,074 |
£1,286 |
£1,199 |
£1,131 |
| Jul 2023 |
£884 |
£1,116 |
£1,337 |
£1,306 |
£1,286 |
| Jul 2024 |
£1,019 |
£1,280 |
£1,533 |
- |
- |
| Bristol |
1 bed |
2 bed |
3 bed |
Electricity bill (South East) |
Gas bill (South East) |
| Jul 2021 |
£900 |
£1,144 |
£1,299 |
£798 |
£577 |
| Jul 2022 |
£977 |
£1,250 |
£1,429 |
£1,190 |
£1,143 |
| Jul 2023 |
£1,051 |
£1,344 |
£1,537 |
£1,298 |
£1,332 |
| Jul 2024 |
£1,133 |
£1,442 |
£1,649 |
- |
- |
| Nottingham |
1 bed |
2 bed |
3 bed |
Electricity bill (East Midlands) |
Gas bill (East Midlands) |
| Jul 2021 |
£523 |
£653 |
£746 |
£750 |
£545 |
| Jul 2022 |
£557 |
£700 |
£805 |
£1,147 |
£1,112 |
| Jul 2023 |
£598 |
£752 |
£865 |
£1,223 |
£1,271 |
| Jul 2024 |
£662 |
£828 |
£950 |
- |
- |
| South Oxfordshire |
1 bed |
2 bed |
3 bed |
Electricity bill (South East) |
Gas bill (South East) |
| Jul 2021 |
£811 |
£1,014 |
£1,263 |
£798 |
£577 |
| Jul 2022 |
£840 |
£1,055 |
£1,321 |
£1,190 |
£1,143 |
| Jul 2023 |
868 |
£1,090 |
£1,367 |
£1,298 |
£1,332 |
| Jul 2024 |
£945 |
£1,179 |
£1,481 |
- |
- |
| West Oxfordshire |
1 bed |
2 bed |
3 bed |
Electricity bill (South East) |
Gas bill (South East) |
| Jul 2021 |
£749 |
£951 |
£1,196 |
£798 |
£577 |
| Jul 2022 |
£775 |
£987 |
£1,249 |
£1,190 |
£1,143 |
| Jul 2023 |
£851 |
£1,083 |
£1,371 |
£1,298 |
£1,332 |
| Jul 2024 |
£909 |
£1,153 |
£1,458 |
- |
- |
| Surrey |
1 bed |
2 bed |
3 bed |
Electricity bill (South East) |
Gas bill (South East) |
| Jul 2021 |
£774 |
£1,001 |
£1,200 |
£798 |
£577 |
| Jul 2022 |
£806 |
£1,046 |
£1,262 |
£1,190 |
£1,143 |
| Jul 2023 |
£867 |
£1,124 |
£1,360 |
£1,298 |
£1,332 |
| Jul 2024 |
£965 |
£1,248 |
£1,511 |
- |
- |
| Kingston upon Thames (London) |
1 bed |
2 bed |
3 bed |
Electricity bill (London) |
Gas bill (London) |
| Jul 2021 |
£1,087 |
£1,389 |
£1,695 |
£777 |
£583 |
| Jul 2022 |
£1,111 |
£1,427 |
£1,754 |
£1,182 |
£1,193 |
| Jul 2023 |
£1,174 |
£1,507 |
£1,849 |
£1,298 |
£1,343 |
| Jul 2024 |
£1,255 |
£1,604 |
£1,969 |
- |
- |
| Ealing (London) |
1 bed |
2 bed |
3 bed |
Electricity bill (London) |
Gas bill (London) |
| Jul 2021 |
£1,206 |
£1,513 |
£1,785 |
£777 |
£583 |
| Jul 2022 |
£1,195 |
£1,507 |
£1,790 |
£1,182 |
£1,193 |
| Jul 2023 |
£1,264 |
£1,594 |
£1,895 |
£1,298 |
£1,343 |
| Jul 2024 |
£1,409 |
£1,768 |
£2,100 |
- |
- |
| Scotland (Edinburgh) |
1 bed |
2 bed |
3 bed |
Electricity bill (South Scotland) |
Gas bill (South Scotland) |
| Jul 2021 |
£518 |
£683 |
£873 |
£762 |
£560 |
| Jul 2022 |
£545 |
£714 |
£915 |
£1,171 |
£1,123 |
| Jul 2023 |
£604 |
£798 |
£1,030 |
£1,331 |
£1,312 |
| Jul 2024 |
£653 |
£863 |
£1,123 |
- |
- |
The data above is for private rental properties and is an average price. July data is the latest published data. Electric and gas bills are for the calendar year but grouped together for convenience reading and is based on an average consumption of 3,600kWh/year for electric and 13,600kWh/year for gas. There is no 2024 report for electricity and gas prices as of writing this article.
When choosing where to settle in the UK as a BNO migrant from Hong Kong, it’s essential to consider the cost of living, including energy expenses. London remains a top choice for its job market, but its high costs may not suit everyone while locations like Edinburgh, Nottingham, and Birmingham, and Manchester offer a more affordable lifestyle for individuals and families.
Sources
