Cause to celebrate? British drinkers pay less than those in the US and Australia

Brits love an excuse to let their hair down with a night on the town, and new research from Budget Direct shows that they get more for their money than residents of major US and Australian cities.

The Australian-based insurance provider has developed a new interactive tool which allows you to compare various real-life costs - the price of property, utilities, weekly shops, eating out, etc - for nine cities across the world: London, Manchester and Birmingham in the UK, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago in the US, and Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane Down Under.

One of the standout findings made using the tool is that going on a typical night out in the UK cities - even London - is cheaper than in the US or Australia. For example, the average price (in pounds) of a 0.5-litre domestic beer on a night out in Australia is £3.31, and in the US it is £3.40. However, in the UK, drinkers pay just £2.90. The story is the same with imported beers and cocktails, with British revellers typically paying less than their Australian and American counterparts. Wine, too is less expensive in the UK, with Brits paying just £3.19 per glass, while those in Australia pay £4.18 and Americans are forced to shell out £6.26.

The Budget Direct tool also shows that while Americans may pay a little less, on average, for activities such as eating out and going to the cinema, Brits tend to pay less than residents of Australia.

To find out more about the data and make your own cost comparisons, try the tool for yourself on the Budget Direct website.

Budget Direct is an award-winning insurance provider based in Brisbane, Australia offering a range of policies including home, life and health insurance.

To find out more information about the Cost of Living comparison tool please visit: http://www.budgetdirect.com.au/costofliving/