As gold prices remain above $4,000 per ounce, The Gold Bullion Company has examined what everyday life would look like if the UK economy were measured in gold. The research converts the cost of familiar items such as houses, rent, cars, and pints of beer into grams of the precious metal, offering a new perspective on the value of money and affordability in 2025.
As gold continues to sit above $4,000 per ounce, many experts believe the price surge of the precious metal will continue over the next 2 years.
While the price of gold continues to reach record highs, the cost of a UK property also remains out of reach for many Brits, with the average price being £269,079.
But, how difficult would it be for first-time buyers if UK houses were priced in gold?
Experts at The Gold Bullion Company have carried out research to reveal how much the cost of everyday items, such as a house, rent, a car, a pint of beer, an iPhone 16, the cost of a train ticket, a fast food meal and Nike Air Force 1 trainers would be if they were priced in gold.
You can view the full research here – https://www.thegoldbullion.co.uk/how-much-would-everyday-items-be-if-they-were-priced-in-gold/
The cost of a house and rent if they were priced in gold
| Item | Price | Grams of Gold |
| House | £269,079 | 3,346.00 |
| Monthly rent | £1,343 | 16.7 |
The average cost of a house in the UK is currently £269,079, which is equivalent to 3.3kg of gold. To put this into context, 3.3kg of gold is the same as three bags of sugar, a full kettle or a large laptop.
For UK residents who choose to rent over buying a property, the average household pays £1,343 each month to their landlord. When comparing this to gold, £1,343 is equivalent to 16.7 grams of gold, which, to help visualise this, is the same as an AA battery. When looking at the bigger picture, a year’s worth of rent would be around 200 grams of gold, which is still less than a kilo.
Rick Kanda, Managing Director at The Gold Bullion Company, comments on the future of gold:
“Gold has always been more than just a precious metal. It is a trusted store of value that people turn to in uncertain times.
“Over the past few years, we have seen demand rise as investors look for ways to protect their wealth against inflation and fluctuating currencies. What is clear is how resilient gold has remained, even as global markets have shifted.
“Looking ahead, the outlook for gold continues to be strong. While short-term prices may move up and down, the long-term story for gold has always been about stability and security.
“Whether it is measured against the cost of a house, a pint of beer, or a pair of trainers, these comparisons remind us of gold’s unique quality: the ability to condense so much value into something you can hold in the palm of your hand.
“It is this combination of accessibility and reliability that makes gold such a compelling part of any financial future.”
Further findings from the study revealed:
- The average price of a new car in the UK is £16.786, which is equivalent to 200g of gold. This is the same as a bar of soap.
- An iPhone 16 is priced at £799 in the UK, which, in gold, is the same as 9.94g. To put this into context, the weight of gold is the same as two teaspoons of sugar or two A4 sheets of paper.
- The average pint of beer in the UK is £4.83, which is equivalent to 0.06g of gold. For Brits drinking one pint per week over the course of a year, the weight of gold would still be less than a five-pence coin.
