The Cost of Living in 1888

Richard Patterson, Melbourne, Australia

Mr. Patterson found the following information on the cost of living in England in 1888 in an article entitled "Life on a Guinea a Week" in The Nineteenth Century (1888), p. 464. Prices are in Pounds (£)/ Shillings (S)/ Pence (d).

Average Weekly Expenditure

ItemS/d
Meat4/0
Bread (10 loaves)2/3.5
Flour2/0
Vegetables (18 lbs)1/0
Other Vegetables0/4
Butter1/0
Fruit1/6
Milk (1 1/2d per day)0/10.5
Tea (1/2 lb)1/0
Cocoa (1/2 lb)0/6
Sugar (4 lbs)/0/10
Soap (1 1/2 lbs)0/6
Soda, starch, blue0/.5
Candles0/1
Parafin (1/2 gallon a fortnight)
[Kerosene]
0/3
Coal (1 cwt)1/3
Beer (3 pints at 3 1/2d)0/10.5
Rent5/6
Boots (for whole family)1/8
Clothes for the man1/0
Clothes for wife and children2/0
School fees0/4
Provident Club [savings]1/6.5
Medical attendance
wife & children
0/3

Yearly Expenditure

Item£/S/d
Rent105/0/0
Rates and taxes
including gas
28/18/10
Coals12/8/6
Wages48/2/1
Food: Butcher46/9/11
Food: Baker9/8/8
Food: Dairyman35/4/8
Food: Grocer38/8/10
Food: Greengrover10/6/0
Food: Poulterer10/3/7
Dress: Wife35/8/4
Dress: Husband19/17/3
Washing34/14/9
Doctor & chemist33/1/0
Traveling & tips43/7/5
Local traveling19/17/9
Stamps7/16/7
Stationery8/1/3
Pleasures, presents
Smoking
35/18/2
Wine15/0/8
House repairs26/12/10
Garden4/13/9
Balance50/19/2

Clothing

Item£/S/d
1 overcoat1/15/0
1 umbrella-/7/6
1 hat-/2/6
1 silk hat-/7/6
1 week-day suit 2/0/0
1 Sunday suit2/10/0
1 pair socks-/1-/10
1 pair boots-/10/6
repairing boots-/6/0
1 under vest-/2/6
1 flannel shirt-/3/0
1 collar-/-/5
1 pair cuffs-/-/8
cutton, buttons-/0/1

Weekly Prices

Item£/S/d
Rent0/6/0
Breakfasts0/1/8
Dinners0/5/0
Teas0/1/0
Boot-cleaning0/0/3
Coal and Wood0/1/0
Washing0/0/9
Tobacco, etc.0/0/6

Related Materials


Victorian Web

Overview Victorian History Victorian Economics

Last modified 16 July 2003