IT MAY BE expensive to get married – what with the prices of dresses, wedding receptions and honeymoons – but a new British survey says it costs an extra £250,000 – or €300,000 – to stay single over a lifetime.

The research, commissioned by price comparison website uSwitch, said that the cost of carrying a mortgage single-handedly, having to rent single rooms for holidays, and not being able to split bills can amount to a serious financial headache.

The largest contributing factor to the prices is the cost of rent or a mortgage, with maturing singles naturally wanting to live somewhere more glamorous than a bedsit for the rest of their lives.

Having nobody to share their accommodation expenses with, though, means that singletons can expect to pay an annual average of £7,080 (€8,500) in Britain – and probably a lot more here, given the relative local property prices.

By comparison, someone living with a partner can expect to pay just £3,804 (€4,572) – 46% less.

Household bills also have a significant contribution: standard charges like phone line rental or electricity connection fees.

“Being single costs a lot and you’re bloody miserable,” said Ann Robison from the website. “That’s what singles themselves say. Only 20% believe they’ve got the better deal than couples.

“If you live alone the chances are you’re not going to go on holiday so much – 43% of people who live alone don’t go on holiday. You’re having to spend on necessities rather than having fun.”

Try telling all of that to Rupert Murdoch, though: his 1999 divorce from his long-term wife Anna set him back $1.7bn – around €1.8bn at the time.