What products are cheaper in England?

ifeelabreeze

Cars are the obvious one and that’s what’s stuck in my head.. but it also got me thinking if cars are so much more expensive over here compared to in the UK, surely there are other similar items that we are also getting the short end of the stick on.

Gregor Samsa

English flags:

£4.80 in England for a lovely 5 foot by 3 foot.

https://flagandbuntingstore.co.uk/england-flag-st-georges-cross/

Same thing, €28.29 over here! You could get the flags of all the countries in the UK for that, and still have change for a small Cornwall one!

https://www.flagsireland.com/shop?store-page=England-Saint-Georges-Cross-Digitally-Printed-Polyester-Flag-p508401053

#ripoffrepublic

PopePalpatine

Anything with alcohol thanks to the Kia Sportage enthusiasts at Alcohol Action Ireland.

Over-the-counter medicine is the one that sticks out to me. I just checked the Sainsbury's site and they sell 16-packs of paracetamol & ibuprofen for 39p each or 30ml of Savlon for £2.20.

SuperBowserWorld

UK Arms

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_arms_export

Count Dracula

Basically everything you can imagine.

Even the people ( oooops cheeky face )

whisky_galore

Eating out, alcohol, groceries, public transport, rent all cheaper in uk.

coolbeans

Wages are lower there though, especially in the public sector.

mariaalice

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120322338#Comment_120322338

Not anymore, it use to be significantly cheaper in the UK, unless you go somewhere like Wetherspoons the cost of alcohol has got more expensive, food has gone up and the only public transport I use is the tram in manchester and it is about parred with here.

Train prices can be horrendous.

walterking

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120322185#Comment_120322185

On the reverse of that, here you pay a maximum of €80 a month for all medications required by your entire family.

walterking

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120322338#Comment_120322338

Public transport?

When was the last time you were in the UK? Trains in particular are horrendously expensive.

Most groceries are not cheaper but some are especially where an item might have 13.5% or 23% vat here and 0 over there. (Some biscuits and cakes)

Eating out is definitely more expensive in the UK when equivalent places are compared, but there are many more cheap places like wetherspoons with very bland food.

Alcohol is cheaper as the tax is lower.

Rent is lower, but not by much and you have very high local taxes.

Petrol and diesel is much higher there. Heating oil is cheaper. All due to tax differences

Hotel breaks, especially outside the big cities, are cheaper there.

Geuze

It is a common misconception that the cause of higher beer prices here is tax.

This is false.

Excise duty on beer is fairly similiar in both places.

The reason is much higher wholesale prices here, due to less competition.

yourdeadwright

Morals

murpho999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120322338#Comment_120322338

The usual run Ireland down and grass greener on the other side.

Whenever I go to the UK i don't find it cheap at all. Also if you go to London, prices for everything can be scary.

whisky_galore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120324601#Comment_120324601

Ah yeah wondered who would be the first ah but shur London.

There's a reason why companies call this place Treasure Island, can you think what it is?

beachhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120322619#Comment_120322619

Transport by train a rip off-always has been.Travel cards are better value than here.Some bars put up prices by £1.50 a pint,others 25p since covid.Wetherspoons still reasonable and the food there is like pub grub anywhere-cheap and cheerful and "cooked" by your neighbours son or daughter. Takeaways cheaper especially,spirits.Restaurants in city/town centres gone expensive but you can find where locals eat for very reasonable rates with bigger portions.Fuel prices are equivalent sterling rates e.g.£1 a litre is e1. or £1.70 is e1.70 Shop in the markets for cheaper vegetables and discounted dry goods.Wages are increasing at a faster rate than here and chose your career carefully and you'll find you get paid more than here.Renting can be cheaper if you pick the right area.Council taxes are higher but based on 2003 valuations.House buying-again pick the right area and easier to get a loan.

beachhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120324601#Comment_120324601

A bit like Dublin or Cork or Belfast(part of the Republic soon)then.Belfast prices on another planet.

screamer

Depends what part of the uk you go to. OTC medication cheaper. Was in London suburbs recently and the prices were eye watering. Hair cut, alcohol, meals out all more expensive much more. The hotel stay though was cheaper.

rob316

Everything due to so much competition. In our industry there is 1 wholesaler in Ireland for our products there is closer to 100 in the UK. The 1 wholesaler in Ireland can charge what they want and dictates the market.

Strumms

Food, drinks are noticeably cheaper especially up North… pub I frequent when in Sheffield, you’ll get the best all day breakfast in the Universe , and a pint for the equivalent of 12 / 13 euros…. Be 17 / 18 here…

zell12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120322584#Comment_120322584

Just prescription items. OTC items are horrendously expensive here

Thelonious Monk

Depends where you are. Beer is way cheaper from corner shops here in London than in irish offos. You can buy cans of Tyskie etc. for a pound. Pints are generally the same or even more these days unless you go to some flat rooved pub in a dodgy estate where they sell carling.

Eating out is really dear now I find unless you go for no frills ethnic food. Its all small plates and you spend crazy money.

I find groceries more expensive than ireland in general too.

GP is free and dentist cost me like 15 quid for an examination and xray recently.

blackbox

Houses

Thelonious Monk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120326919#Comment_120326919

Depends where you are. London is ridiculous.

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058287105/what-products-are-cheaper-in-england

Ireland's GDP per capita is over twice that of the UK: $100k versus $46k, so pretty much everything would be cheaper otherwise they'd have a hard time to make ends meet. And that goes for most of Europe as well!

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120322132#Comment_120322132

Onan hag Oll :-)

Back to the subject. Something that no ones mentioned yet. There is so much more choice in the UK you can normally shop around and get a good deal on something you want even if its quite specialist. Here with so little choice there is no competition and prices are higher as a result.

Of more readily available products I'd say any generic over the counter pharmaceuticals. Aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen can be got for less than 50 pence a packet.

mariaalice

Cars, otc medication, alcohol for an off-license or supermarket, NHS free at point use, genuinely free education as in not paying for books and school banned from asking parents for a contribution, cocktail in the place like the slug and lettuce.

https://www.slugandlettuce.co.uk/manchester-piccadilly/food-and-drink

dxhound2005

Schools are not banned from asking for contributions. The NHS is free at the point of use, but that is not much consolation to the millions on hospital waiting lists. Or to the people who cannot get a GP appointment, or get on a GP list.

Larbre34

Strippers in flat-roofed pubs.

Way more fish and chip places over there who aren't trying to compete anymore with the likes of McDonalds etc. So 12-15 sterling for fresh cod/haddock, chips, sauce, and a can. Can sit in as well.

gipi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120322584#Comment_120322584

Sadly, it's not entirely true. Some prescription meds aren't on the Drug Payment Scheme list and have to be paid for separately. I found this out the hard way this month when 2 new meds on my prescription weren't covered and I had to pay 141 euro at the pharmacy (80 euro for the drugs that are on the list and 61 for those that aren't.

Motorbike gear, especially helmets can be cheaper in UK,because it's considered safety equipment and is 0% vat rated. Here, vat is 23% on these items.

Graces7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120324830#Comment_120324830

Ah well, London prices are not representative of the UK in general. Many jobs carry thus a " London allowance"

Badly Drunk Boy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120328170#Comment_120328170

But they mess it up by lumping mushy peas onto your fish'n'chips! 🤮

beachhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120322584#Comment_120322584

If,signed up to the Drug Payment Scheme

beachhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120329609#Comment_120329609

OTC medicine prices can vary quite a lot within the same postcode area.As much as £1 on a £10 item

silliussoddius

Jellied eels.

Roger Mellie Man on the Telly

jazz mags

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120332818#Comment_120332818

Just about every magazine you can buy.

Victor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120326925#Comment_120326925

GDP numbers can be misleading. You need to look at household incomes.

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120332818#Comment_120332818

..

Karppi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120329757#Comment_120329757

Only in the North (of England, not Ireland)

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120332882#Comment_120332882

You can argue about how GDP per capita is calculated until the cows come home, but no matter how you twist it you will be unable to make the cost of living in a country with twice the figure less expensive. The gap is just too great.

Jonathan2712

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120326919#Comment_120326919

Not true at all. I moved to Ireland six years ago from the UK. My house here (half an hour from Dublin) cost about the same as a one bed flat in London., or a three bed semi in Cambridgshire.

The UK is a big place, so there will be variance in this, but overall housing here is way cheaper than the UK.

walterking

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120326889#Comment_120326889

Some otc medicines are much cheaper there, but many are very similar and higher.

It's down to the licensing fees and the fact that the market here is quite small and most medicines go via distributors whereas in the UK there's a direct supply model

But if you or a family member has prescription requirements, the €80 per month maximum is a godsend - I'll take that anyday instead of saving €1.50 on a pack of paracetamol