Care fees by region, 2026

Care is one of the largest bills a family ever faces, and the figure on the contract varies enormously depending on where you are, the type of care, and whether you pay privately. This guide sets out what care actually costs across Britain in 2026, with the regional and national differences laid out plainly.

The short answer. As of early 2026, a self-funder pays around £1,300 a week for residential care and around £1,500 a week for nursing care, averaged across the UK. London and the South East run well above that, the North of England and Wales below it.

The national averages

For someone paying their own way (a self-funder), the broad UK averages in 2026 are:

• Residential care: around £1,298 a week, roughly £67,500 a year.
• Nursing care: around £1,535 a week, roughly £79,800 a year.
• Dementia care: typically higher again, as it needs more staff and specialist support.

Nursing care costs more than residential care because a registered nurse is on site around the clock. Dementia care often carries a further premium for the same reason.

How fees vary by region in England

Care is a local market, shaped by property prices and staffing costs, so the same type of room can cost hundreds of pounds a week more in one region than another. The figures below are self-funder averages from early 2026 and are indicative, not quotes.

The cheapest regions sit lower still: the North East averaged around £1,095 a week for residential care in early 2026, with Yorkshire and the Humber close behind. That is a gap of more than £350 a week against London, or over £18,000 a year, for broadly similar care.

Why the spread is so wide. Roughly half of a weekly fee is staff, and the rest is property, food, energy and running costs. Where wages and property are expensive, fees follow. A higher price does not automatically mean better care, and a lower price does not mean worse. Always look at the regulator's record alongside the price.

The self-funder premium

Here is the part many families only discover at the contract stage. Councils buy a lot of care and negotiate lower rates, so homes commonly charge people who fund their own care more than the council pays for the same room. The difference is typically £200 a week or more, sometimes 20 to 40 per cent. It is an uncomfortable feature of the system, and it is worth asking a home directly what its self-funder and council rates are.

What home care costs

If care at home suits the situation, the maths is different:

• Hourly (domiciliary) care: around £32 an hour on average in 2026, with a typical range of about £26 to £38. A few visits a day is far cheaper than a care home. For reference, the Homecare Association's recommended minimum rate for councils in 2026/27 is £34.42 an hour, which gives a sense of the true cost of providing it.
• Live-in care: around £220 a day, roughly £1,540 a week, which is broadly comparable to a care home but lets the person stay in their own home.

So home care is cheapest for light support and converges with care home costs once needs become constant.

The four nations compared

What you pay, and the help available, depends on where you live. For 2026/27:

Worth knowing about Scotland. "Free personal care" does not make a care home free. The Scottish Government pays fixed weekly amounts toward the care element, but accommodation and living costs are still means-tested against the capital limits above.

What the weekly fee does not include

The headline price is rarely the whole story. Fees usually cover accommodation, meals, personal care and basic activities. They often exclude extras such as hairdressing, chiropody, newspapers, some toiletries and outings. Ask for a written breakdown of what is and is not included before you sign.

There is also the question of top-up fees. If you choose a home that charges more than your council will pay, a third party (usually a family member) generally has to pay the difference. A top-up has to be genuinely affordable and sustainable over time, because if it stops, the person may have to move.

How to sanity-check a quote

1. Get it in writing. Insist on a written fee schedule for the person's actual assessed needs, not a brochure average.
2. Ask about the self-funder rate and how and when fees increase each year.
3. Separate the extras. Find out exactly what falls outside the weekly fee.
4. Check for funding first. Before assuming you self-fund, test for NHS Continuing Healthcare and ask the council for a financial assessment. See our guides on NHS continuing healthcare and on whether you will have to sell your home.

Check the record before you choose. Price tells you what a home costs, not whether it is any good. Homesplace shows the official regulator's record for every care home in Britain, with every claim dated and sourced, so you can weigh cost against the evidence rather than the brochure.

Sources

• Which?: Care home costs across the UK explained (regional figures, Lottie data, January 2026).
• Lottie: care home and home care costs 2026.
• carehome.co.uk: care home costs 2026.
• Homecare Association: minimum price for homecare 2026/27.
• Care Information Scotland: personal and nursing care rates (April 2026).
• Department of Health and Social Care, capital limits and FNC rate, 2026/27.

Homesplace is an independent service and is not affiliated with the Care Quality Commission, the NHS, or any government department. Figures are averages for general guidance, correct as of June 2026, and are reviewed regularly. Always obtain a written quote based on the person's actual needs.