DATA-BACKED GUIDE · UPDATED JULY 2026
How much does a care home cost per week in the UK?
Working out what a care home actually costs is harder than it should be, because almost no home puts its fees on its website. Most families only find out once they enquire, often when a relative is already in hospital and the decision cannot wait. A standard residential care place covers a room, meals and help with everyday personal care, and it sits below nursing care and dementia care on price. It is still a serious weekly commitment, and the figure you are quoted may not be the figure the council next door is paying for the same room. The real prices on this page come from families who have actually paid them, not from a brochure.
The quick version
- Residential care is the baseline: a room, meals and help with daily personal care, without a nurse on site.
- Self-funders are routinely charged more than the council pays for an identical room in the same home.
- The price tracks where the home is, how much help you need, who runs the home, and the local council's agreed rate.
- If your savings and assets fall below the upper capital limit, the council may start contributing after a means test.
- Nursing care and dementia care cost more, so the type of care you need moves the price as much as the home does.
- A quoted fee is a starting point for negotiation, not a fixed price, especially once you know the council's own rate.
What people actually paid
Where these 15 prices come from — 4 named sources
Each is a published price list, an official survey, or a receipt/quote a reader shared. The full per-price list with year and area is on the residential care page.
The gap: advertised vs actually paid (medians)
People reported paying 17% less than the advertised list price for residential care.
List prices are advertised prices; paid figures are what people reported, often for different cases. Treat the gap as a signal, not a quote.
Real prices, in people's own words
- £650“£650 a week in comparison to £1200 a week for nursing care.”
- £800“His is £800 per week for residential.”
- £950“Our councils standard rate for care home is £950ish per week.”
- £1,000“the home is £1k a week”
- £1,205“The fees (after deduction of the local authority contribution) are (currently) £1205 per week”
- £1,400“It's a council run one, so it's cheap compared to private. But it's still an eye-watering £1400 pw.”
Genuine amounts posted publicly. We publish the price and the quote, never the person.
Why the price varies so much
Several things move the weekly figure. Location is the biggest, because a home in the south east costs far more than the same standard of care further north, with staff wages and property prices feeding straight into the fee. The level of care matters too, since more help with mobility, continence or medication pushes the price up, and nursing or dementia care sits above standard residential care for the same reason. Who runs the home also matters. A large chain, an independent operator and a not-for-profit or local authority run home can all charge differently for a broadly similar room, and ownership can also affect staffing levels and how flexible the home is on price. Then there is who is paying. Councils negotiate a lower rate for the places they fund, so a self-funder arriving off the street is often quoted noticeably more for the very same room. When a council-funded resident wants a home that charges above the council rate, a relative sometimes pays a top-up fee to cover the difference. Almost none of this is published, which is why real figures from other families tell you more than any brochure.
How to pay less
- Ask for a full written breakdown of the weekly fee and exactly what it includes before you sign anything.
- Ask your council for a needs assessment and a financial assessment, even if you expect to pay in full.
- Check whether Attendance Allowance applies, or NHS Continuing Healthcare if there is a genuine health need.
- If most of your money is tied up in a property, ask the council about a deferred payment agreement.
- Compare the self-funder rate against the council rate for the same home, and ask them to justify the gap.
- Get quotes from more than one home in the same area before committing, since fees for a similar room can differ home to home.
Common questions
Why won't care homes tell me their prices upfront?
There is no rule forcing them to publish fees, and many prefer to quote only once they have assessed the person and know what the family can pay. That leaves you enquiring one home at a time, usually under time pressure. Asking for the weekly fee in writing, with a list of what it does and does not cover, is a fair request and worth making early.
Do I have to sell my house to pay for a care home?
Not always, and not immediately. If someone with a genuine need still lives in the property, its value is usually disregarded. Where the home does count towards your assets, a deferred payment agreement can let the council pay the fees for now and reclaim the money later from the sale, so you are not forced to sell in a hurry. Rules differ across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, so check your own council's position. This is general information, not financial or legal advice.
Will the council help with the cost?
It depends on a means test. If your capital sits below the upper capital limit, the council may contribute, though most of your income is usually counted towards the fees as well. Above that limit you are treated as a self-funder and pay the full amount. It is still worth asking for an assessment, because your circumstances and the limits can change.
What is a top-up fee and who has to pay it?
A top-up applies when a council-funded resident wants a home, or a room in a home, that costs more than the council's agreed rate. The gap is usually covered by a relative or friend, not the resident's own care funds, and it needs to be agreed in writing before the placement starts. Ask exactly what triggers the top-up and whether it can change, since a home that raises its fees can effectively raise the top-up too.
Why does the same home charge me more than it charges the council?
Councils negotiate block rates across many residents, so they can secure a lower price than someone arranging a single placement for one relative. Homes also know that self-funders often have no comparison point and less time to negotiate. Asking the home directly what the council pays for an equivalent room, and asking why your quote is higher, is a reasonable question and sometimes brings the price down.
Does it cost more for nursing care or dementia care than residential care?
Yes, generally. Nursing care includes a registered nurse on site and covers people with more complex medical needs, and dementia care often needs higher staffing ratios and a more secure environment, so both usually cost more than standard residential care for the same reasons that drive any care fee up, more staff time and more specialist support per resident. If a health need is significant, ask about NHS Continuing Healthcare, which can cover some or all of the cost when it applies.