What a home costs in Birmingham
A typical two-bed flat to rent in Birmingham comes to £1,404 a month once the bills are added, or £702 each for two people. A one-bed for one person comes to £1,159, at council tax band D.
That's £148 a month more than the average two-bed across the West Midlands (£1,255), both at band D.
With band D council tax, bills add 40% to a two-bed's rent here: 210th of the 348 councils with a published rent, where 1st is where they add the most. Council tax is the biggest bill, at £196.91 a month at band D, £3 less than the average across the West Midlands.
Estimate · figures checked 18 Oct 2026 · guidance, not advice · sources
Each month
| A month | One-bed, one person | Two-bed, two people |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | £830.00 | £1,003.00 |
| Council tax (band D) | £147.68 | £196.91 |
| Energy | £84.87 | £106.93 |
| Water and sewerage | £48.92 | £48.92 |
| Broadband | £28.00 | £28.00 |
| TV licence | £15.00 | £15.00 |
| Contents insurance | £4.92 | £4.92 |
| All in | £1,159.38 | £1,403.67 |
A gas-heated, purpose-built flat at the average rent. How these are worked out.
Council tax by band, 2026/27
| Band | A year | A month |
|---|---|---|
| A | £1,575.27 | £131.27 |
| B | £1,837.81 | £153.15 |
| C | £2,100.36 | £175.03 |
| D | £2,362.90 | £196.91 |
| E | £2,887.99 | £240.67 |
| F | £3,413.08 | £284.42 |
| G | £3,938.17 | £328.18 |
| H | £4,725.80 | £393.82 |
Before the 25% discount for someone living alone. Find your band on GOV.UK.
Energy and water
Birmingham is in Ofgem's West Midlands price cap region. From 1 October to 31 December 2026, by Direct Debit: electricity 25.6p a kWh and 57.23p a day; gas 7.9p a kWh and 29.71p a day.
Severn Trent Water supplies water and takes waste water away. The average household bill for 2026/27 is £587 a year. Some postcodes are supplied by South Staffs Water.
Rents and prices
The average private rent (ONS, August 2026) is £830 a month for a one-bed and £1,003 for a two-bed, £1,099 across all homes, up 3.0% on a year earlier. The average flat sold for £144,814 (UK House Price Index, July 2026).
Work out your own
It starts at Birmingham. Change the bedrooms, rent or buy, the people and any figure.
Choose a council from the list to see the figures.
Every figure's source and date: sources.
Other places
Cost each place
Calm Money Home costs every place you look at, rent or buy, the same way and side by side. It works offline and needs no account.
Calm Money Home: UK Moving Costs · £10.79 on Etsy