The research agency asked more than 40,000 Britons what they considered to be a reasonable price for a pint at the pub and compared the public’s opinion against the average prices of pints across the nation.
The results show that the national average “reasonable” price for a pint, as perceived by Britons, is £3 – 60p lower than the national average cost of an actual pint.
Surrey comes out on top
The biggest difference between perception and reality is in Surrey, which is perhaps unsurprising as the county plays host to the most expensive pints in the county. According to residents of the county, the average reasonable price for a pint is £3.36, more than a pound lower than the actual average actual price for a pint of £4.40.
By contrast, the smallest difference is in Herefordshire, one of the two counties with the joint-cheapest pints in Britain. Here the average pint will set you back £3.31, only 30p more than the average reasonable price. (In Yorkshire, the other area with the joint-cheapest pints, the difference is 47p).
While Herefordians and Yorkshiremen might have the cheapest pints, it is the residents of Northumbria and Lancashire that have the cheapest expectations. In both of these areas the average perceived “reasonable” price for a pint is just £2.80.
Price disparity
Speaking about the results of the survey, Ben Glanville, head of data services UK, YouGov, said: “Visitors to London from the wider country are often in for a nasty shock whenever they visit the capital’s pubs. Likewise Londoners venturing outside the city limits will be consistently delighted to receive significant change when paying for a pint with a fiver.
“However, our research shows that nowhere in the country do people think they are paying a reasonable price for a pint.”
Meanwhile, Money Guru has revealed the most and least expensive places to buy a pint in the UK.
The data from the price comparison experts showed that the most expensive pint, at £5.19, was in London, while the least expensive place was Carlisle, where a pint costs just £2.35 on average.