When searching for live-in care options for yourself or someone close to you, the cost always plays a major role in the selection process. To choose the most suitable support you need, the first requirement is to understand exactly what live-in care is, the level of assistance included, and whether it is affordable for you.
A live-in carer in the UK typically costs £900 to £1,800 a week, amounting to roughly £3,900 to £7,800 a month or £47,000 to £94,000 a year. These numbers, however, just provide a basic range of expenses that you can expect when looking for live-in care in the UK. The exact figure you spend depends on multiple other factors, including where you live, whether the person receiving care needs standard or specialised support and more.
We will break down the prices of different ways people receive live-in care in the UK, whether that be through a live-in care provider directly or needing to move into another care facility. By the end of this blog, you will have a better understanding of the average cost of live-in care per person in the UK.
What is live-in care and what does it offer?
Live-in care is usually requested by someone either for themselves or for a loved one in need of physical or mental support with their daily routine. It involves a caretaker moving into the residence for at least 24 hours to provide support to people recovering from a major accident, older individuals who need help with daily activities, or those requiring nurse-level care in their homes at all times.
Who is the live-in care service for?
Live-in care services are suitable for:
- People recovering from an injury, illness or surgery.
- Situations where the primary caretaker of the house (like a parent) needs a short-term break without disrupting the household routine.
- Individuals with specialised medical needs, like dementia, end-of-life care or other clinical conditions.
- People who generally need help with daily tasks and value companionship.
Primary costs of live-in care
There are many types of live-in care services available, and each offers different levels of support depending on the needs of the individual receiving care. Automatically, the expected role requirements and skill level of the carer also change.
It’s important to understand that each care provider has their own criteria to determine the most suitable service for an individual. However, here are some of the main types of live-in care and how much they cost.
| Type of live-in care | Average cost range per person per week | Services included | Who’s it best for |
|---|---|---|---|
|
General |
£700 to £900 |
24-hour help with basic daily tasks, companionship, household chores, maintaining a clean environment |
Individuals needing general daily support |
|
Clinical |
£1600- £1800 |
PEG feeding, stoma care, injections, wound dressing, medication management, blood sugar monitoring, catheter care |
Individuals with long-term medical needs requiring clinical care |
|
Respite |
£880- £1100 |
House management, chores, meal preparation, companionship |
Families needing a short-term break or to test live-in care quality |
|
Dementia |
£1600- £1800 |
Safe environment, symptom monitoring, routine and medication management, assistance with daily activities |
Individuals living with dementia |
|
Post hospitalisation |
£1200- £1600 |
Physical and mental rehabilitation, help with routine tasks, physical therapy support |
Individuals recovering from injury, surgery, illness, or medical treatment |
|
Palliative |
£1600- £2000 |
Symptom management, medication administration, personal care, coordination with medical professionals, maintaining dignity |
Individuals at the end of life who need comfort, safety, and complete support at home |
1. General or traditional live-in care
The carer provides 24-hour help by assisting with basic daily tasks, going on and about, helping with outings, providing company, making sure the environment remains clean and completing household chores. The carer lives with the individual for a set amount of time and carries out 8 or 12-hour shifts per day. This is the most common type of live-in care, and is often the option with the lowest cost.
Cost range: £700 to £900 per week.
2. Clinical live-in care
In this case, the live-in carer is well-versed in providing nurse-level care for any long-term medical needs that general care takers usually do not manage. This mainly includes, but is not restricted to, PEG feeding, stoma care, injections, wound dressing, medication management, blood sugar monitoring, and catheter care. Clinical live-in care requires a higher level of training and formal medical knowledge, which is why it generally costs more than traditional live-in care.
Cost range: £1600- £1800 per week.
3. Respite live-in care
It is a short-term care option, in which live-in carers may be hired to test the quality of a live-in care provider or to give a break to a family member/ primary caretaker of the house. The services provided are similar to general live-in care, including house management, chores, meal preparation, and companionship to the individuals receiving care.
Cost range: £880- £1100 per week.
4. Dementia live-in care
It is a specialised form of clinical care, designed specifically for people living with dementia. The carers move into the home of the individual and focus on providing a safe environment. In addition, the carers are also concerned with monitoring symptoms throughout the day, reporting to doctors, managing routine and medicine schedule and assisting the individual with their daily activities.
Cost range: £1600- £1800 per week.
5. Post-hospitalisation live-in care
This type of live-in care is a specialised form of clinical support for patients recovering from an injury, surgery, illness or a medical treatment. The live-in carers are highly trained professionals who focus on the complete physical and mental rehabilitation of the person receiving care. This includes helping them with their routine tasks, mobility, providing physical therapy and support.
Cost range: £1200- £1600 per week.
6. End-of-life live-in care
This type of support helps individuals at the end of life maintain a comfortable and safe environment around them in the comfort of their homes. The service involves managing symptoms, administering medication, handling the individual’s personal care and coordinating with medical professionals to ensure the dignity and autonomy of the individuals are maintained.
Cost range: £1600- £2000 per week.
How much does a live-in carer cost per week, month and year?
The table introduces you to the typical 2026 UK costs by the type of care you are looking for. These numbers do not reflect any specific agency but an overall range according to the current market rates.
| Type of care | Weekly | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Standard (self-employed) |
£900 to £1,100 |
£3900 to £4800 |
£47,000 to £57,000 |
|
Standard (agency hired) |
£1,200 to £1,500 |
£5,200 to £6,500 |
£62,000 to £78,000 |
|
Specialist care (dementia) |
£1,600 to £1,800 |
£6,900 to £7,800 |
£83,000 to £94,000 |
|
Couples live-in care |
From £1,400 |
From £6,100 |
From £8400 to |
Read more on our detailed guides: dementia live-in care costs, 24-hour care at home costs.
Live-in care cost by care level and condition
If you are unsure whether your family member falls under the category of standard or specialist live-in care, we have prepared a summary that you can refer to.
| Care need | Typical weekly cost |
|---|---|
|
Companionship (mobility and standard care) |
£900 to £1,200 |
|
Personal care (bathing, dressing) |
£1100 to £1,500 |
|
Alzheimer’s care |
£1600 to £1,800 |
|
Recovery and rehabilitation |
£1300 to £1,700 |
|
Palliative care |
£1600 to £2,000 |
Live-in care costs by region
Your location largely affects the price of live-in care. Many factors decide the average cost for any area, but it varies with minimum wage, standard living costs, housing costs, and the availability of care homes or other live-in care providers in the area.
| Region | Typical weekly range |
|---|---|
|
London and South East |
£1,200 to £1,900 |
|
East and South West |
£1,100 to £1,600 |
|
Midlands |
£1,000 to £1,400 |
|
North England |
£900 to £1,300 |
|
Wales and Scotland |
£900 to £1,400 |
Self-employed carer vs agency-hired: Cost difference
Both of the options have their own pros and cons. A self-employed carer can be a good value because they can be directly communicated with regarding any part of the process, which makes the complete hiring process more personalised. However, an agency-hired carer means less administrative work for the family because the agency itself handles matching you with the right carer, providing cover when they are absent and keeping track of performance.
| Self-employed carer | Carer agency | |
|---|---|---|
|
Weekly cost |
Starts from about £900 |
Starts from £1,000 - £1,200 |
|
What is included |
The carer’s time |
Carer plus vetting, payroll, insurance, cover |
|
Cover if the carer is ill |
You arrange it |
The provider arranges a replacement |
|
Regulation |
CQC regulated, you are responsible for additional vetting |
CQC regulated |
For the full picture, see our guide on live-in care vs a care home.
What is included in weekly live-in carer costs?
Within a weekly expense of £900 to £1,800, a live-in carer provides support for personal care, moving around the house and light exercise, meal preparation, assistance with medication, and light housekeeping. However, there are some additional expenses incurred during the week even if not highlighted in the weekly expense. These include:
- Carer’s meals and board: The household covers daily meal expenses and provides a private room for that carer since they are in the house 24/7.
- Daily living costs: The expenses for the carer’s food, utilities, and medical expenses are separate from the carer fee.
- Waking nights: If the carer is doing waking nights frequently, it can require a second carer, which doubles the fee. Live-in carers need breaks and rest just like regular people, and one carer cannot be on the clock 7 days a week if they are doing waking nights as well.
- Notice periods: Whether you hire a self-employed live-in carer or an agency-provided one, always check the contract for assessment fees, minimum terms and notice periods. Otherwise, the breach of contract could result in a penalty fee, which is an added cost.
How to fund live-in care?
In the UK, according to the official NHS website, an individual with assets worth more than £23,250 has slim chances of getting financial help from the council. People can also call for a financial assessment (which will include questions regarding the individual’s assets, properties, etc, with relevant documentation) to check if they qualify for any help with costs. However, if you can afford the care yourself, look into ways to fund it independently.
Factors affecting the live-in care costs
Many factors decide the end cost of a live-in care service. We have discussed some major ones below, along with how they drive the prices high and low.
Duration of the service
Whether a service is needed for a day, a week or a month, including the working hours of the live-in carer (starting from 8 hours per day to 24 hrs round the clock care).
Level of support
Depends on whether an individual needs general care and companionship for their personal support or the duties of the live-in carer extend to household management, meal preparation, cleaning and maintaining the environment as well.
Whether specialised medical support is required
Catering to a specific medical condition, like dementia, autism, injury recovery, or physical rehabilitation, requires professional training and expertise, which drives the prices high.
Number of caregivers required
24/7 care, along with night duties, usually requires at least 2 caregivers with 12-hour shifts who can help at alternate times. Hiring more than one live-in care provider increases the overall cost.
Number of attendees (single or couple care)
All the discussed expenses provide an average cost overview for per-person live-in care in the UK. However, live-in care for more than one person, like couples’ live-in care, costs more than individual’.
Location
UK regions with high living costs, like London, Oxford and Cambridge, have higher live-in care costs compared to regions in the North East and North West.
Now that we have observed a comprehensive overview of what live-in care is and how much it costs in the UK, it’s appropriate to discuss where ComparedExperts pitches in during the decision-making process and how we can help you.
Compare top facilities providing live-in care in the UK with ComparedExperts
With ComparedExperts, you can match the right live-in carer to your needs to receive the highest standard of service. No need to get tangled up in multiple cost comparisons to get competitive rates, because we make the process easy for you.
Start by filling out our quick and easy 2-minute form for your required live-in care service. We will connect you with up to 4 of the top live-in care facilities in the UK, which you can then compare and select the best option for you and your loved ones.
FAQs
Yes, many live-in care providers offer services to couples. It involves a live-in carer moving into the residence of a couple. The provider carries out a quick check to determine the scope of needs of the couple. Depending on that, it recommends how many live-in carers are suitable for assistance. Of course, the costs for couples’ live-in care are double that of a single individual, but the benefits are endless. Couples in need of help get the opportunity to receive assistance together in the comfort of their homes.
The reason why the cost of live-in care changes depending on the region is because of the cost of living in the area. London, Cambridge and Oxford are mainstream cities, where everyday costs are more expensive than in other areas of the UK. Hence, the surge in prices also applies to live-in care costs.
Dementia care needs specialist training that is different from providing standard care involving companionship and basic assistance for daily tasks. Dementia care involves carers being highly aware and supervising during the day and well into the night, depending on the stage of dementia. That is why the weekly costs for dementia live-in care start from about £1,600 a week.
A fully managed agency helps you find the right carer for your needs and handles the process from start to finish, including vetting, hiring and admin tasks. However, an introductory agency simply connects you with a self-employed carer, and you directly communicate with them to share requirements, responsibilities and fees.
The household usually provides meals and a private room for the carer at no extra charge to them. This means that the weekly live-in carer expense only covers the working hours of the carer and does not cover the food and accommodation, as it is industry standard to be provided by the family.
