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15 PRICES TRACKED

Residential care (per week)

A standard care-home place with personal care, per week. The baseline care cost, before any nursing or dementia top-up.

£1,000median paid
£1,205median list
£650lowest
£1,548highest
2.4×spread

Read the full guide: residential care costs explained →

Every price we track (hover a dot)

List priceActually paid
£596£931£1,267£1,602list med £1,205paid med £1,000List priceActually paid

The gap: advertised vs actually paid (medians)

List price (advertised)£1,2056 prices
↓£205 less
Actually paid (reported)£1,0007 prices

People reported paying 17% less than the advertised list price for residential care.

List price£1,205Actually paid£1,000

List prices are advertised prices; paid figures are what people reported, often for different cases. Treat the gap as a signal, not a quote.

Quoted vs actually paid (real submissions)

The strongest signal there is: what one person was quoted, and what the same job actually cost them.

  • quoted £650↔paid £6500%

    Anon · UK · 2024

  • quoted £950↔paid £9500%

    Anon · UK · 2024

YearRegionProviderWhat it wasListPaidSrc
2024UKUnknownResidential care home—£650quoted £650source
2025WalesUnknownResidential care, per weekSelf-funded residential care in Wales—£800source
2025SurreyUnknownResidential care, standard council rateSurrey County Council guide price for purchasing residential care home places, 2025 to 2026.£806—source
2025UK unspecifiedUnknownResidential care, per weekCouncil-funded (local authority commissioned) residential rate, far below self-funder average£908—source
2024UKUnknownResidential care home, standard rate—£950quoted £950source
2025UK unspecifiedUnknownResidential care, per weekSelf-funded (temporarily) resident, England—£1,000source
2025North EastUnknownResidential care, per weekSelf-funder regional average for North East England (lowest region), carehome.co.uk 9 September 2025£1,112—source
2025North East EnglandUnknownResidential care home (self-funder average)carehome.co.uk self-funder fee data, dated 9 September 2025.£1,112survey avg—source
2025ScotlandUnknownResidential care, per weekSelf-funder in Scotland, fee after local authority contribution deducted—£1,205source
2025UK unspecifiedUnknownResidential care, per weekSelf-funder UK average, carehome.co.uk data dated 9 September 2025£1,298—source
2025UK averageUnknownResidential care home (self-funder average)carehome.co.uk self-funder fee data, dated 9 September 2025.£1,298survey avg—source
2025UK unspecifiedIndependentResidential care, per weekCouncil-run home, described as cheap versus private yet still £1400/week—£1,400source
2025South EastUnknownResidential care, per weekSelf-funded initially, South East England—£1,500source
2025ScotlandUnknownResidential care, per weekSelf-funder regional average for Scotland, carehome.co.uk 9 September 2025£1,539—source
2025LondonUnknownResidential care, per weekSelf-funder regional average for London, carehome.co.uk data 9 September 2025£1,548—source

Common questions

How much does residential care cost in the UK?

Across 15 real UK prices, the median is £1,112, ranging from £650 to £1,548. These are published prices and bills people actually paid, not estimates.

Why do residential care prices vary so much?

Care fees depend on the type of care, the home, the area, and whether you fund it yourself or the council does. Self-funders routinely pay far more than the council rate for the same room.

How can I pay less for residential care?

Ask for the full weekly fee in writing including any top-ups, compare several homes, check the council rate for your area, and get a care-needs assessment before you commit.

Related free guides

Methodology: prices here are published prices and bills people reported paying. Each row says which it is, with a link to the source where one exists. We never estimate and no sponsor can touch a number. Spot an error? Tell us and we will fix or remove it fast.