London has been named one of the UK’s worst places to retire

The non-stop 9 to 5 grind can really suck sometimes. So whether you’re the ripe old age of 25 or just a few years away from retirement, we don’t blame you for fantasizing about life post-work. Perhaps you’re envisioning a cottage by the sea, maybe you’re dreaming of a villa on the Med or can picture yourself somewhere a bit more urban. If you’re thinking of living out your final decades in London, though, one study suggests that might not be the best move. 

Compare the Market has dug into data from 32 of the UK’s most populated place and concluded that the Big Smoke is one of the worst British cities to retire in. It ranked eighth worst, mostly thanks to a lower life satisfaction score and a high cost of living. It also scored poorly for the number of bingo clubs per 10,000 pensioners (0.3, compared to 0.9 in Sunderland and 1.5 in Coventry). 

On the bright side, London isn’t the overall worst place to retire. According the Compare the Market, that title goes to Birmingham. 

Besides other obvious stuff like healthcare system, residential home coasts and the density of parks, there was one unusual benchmark by which each place was judged — the number of fish and chip shops. London actually scored relatively well in that category, with nine chippies per 10,000 pensioners. So, if your dying wish is to gorge on battered cod and mushy peas, perhaps the capital is the right place for you after all. 

On the flipside there are some London boroughs that are supposedly great places to retire to. Plus one tiny northern village was named the UK’s best place to retire, this study revealed the cheapest place to retire and we recently listed our pick of the best places to retire in the world. 

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