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Retirement by age and pot · 360 UK places · Published August 2026

Can I retire at 48 with £1.1m?

Here is the honest verdict: depends where you live at 48 with £1.1m We compared 360 UK places, adjusted for State Pension from age 67 and a 4% withdrawal rate.

Last updated 01/08/2026 360 places · single & couple Every figure sourced

The verdict for retiring at 48 with £1.1m

Single or couple, both are shown. Pick your situation.

The short answer

It depends on where you live. You could retire in 214 cheaper places.

£1.1m at 48 covers the cheapest locations we track (the cheapest needs about £896,344), but a UK-average lifestyle needs about £1,125,100. The gap is roughly £25,100. See the affordable list below and check what £1.1m buys in your region.

Annual income from pot

£44,000

4% withdrawal before 67

+ State Pension

£12,548/year

from age 67

Combined from 67

£56,548/year

pot + State Pension, after 19 bridge years

Where you could retire with £1.1m at 48

214 of the 360 places we track need less than ££1.1m. These are the cheapest:

Your pot of £1.1m exceeds the cost of retirement in these locations, but the places not listed, typically London and the South East, need more.

Now run it on your numbers

Change the pot and the age to yours. The verdict updates as you go. No account, nothing to fill in.

Pensions, ISAs and investments combined.

19 years to bridge before the State Pension starts.

Retiring as

The verdict

It depends where

£1.1m at 48 as a single covers 214 of 360 UK places we track. You would need £25,100 more to live anywhere at UK-average costs.

That is £44,000 a year drawn from the pot, rising to £56,548 once the State Pension starts at 67.

This assumes you stop paying in today.

Most people reading this are still contributing, with years left to run. Those contributions are missing from the number above, and they are usually what decides whether the date works.

See it with my contributions in

Free. No card required.

How the maths works

1 · Bridge the years

Until State Pension at 67, your pot pays for everything. Retiring at 48 means 19 full years of living costs before the pension starts.

2 · Then the pension

From 67 the State Pension (£12,548/year) covers part of living costs, and the remaining gap comes from the pot at a 4% withdrawal rate.

3 · Compare places

We repeat this for all 360 places using each area's annual living costs, then rank them cheapest to priciest. The verdict follows how far your pot goes.

What £1.1m at 48 could buy

Compare the cheapest and the UK-average retirement targets for a single person at 48.

Cheapest place

£896,344

County Durham · your pot covers this

UK-average lifestyle

£1,125,100

£32,700/year living costs · your pot falls short by £25,100

Frequently asked questions

How is the retirement pot calculated?

We estimate the pot you need as the cost of bridging the years until State Pension age (67), plus the years after, when State Pension income covers part of your living costs. A 4% annual withdrawal rate is assumed from your pot. All figures are pre-tax and exclude housing costs you still owe.

What does the verdict mean?

Three outcomes: "yes" means your pot covers a UK-average lifestyle (about £38,000/year for a single person) and most places we track; "it depends" means your pot covers some places but not the UK average; "not yet" means your pot is short of even the cheapest place we track. Figures are deliberately conservative.

Does the State Pension count?

Yes. The calculation includes the full new State Pension (about £12,548/year for a single person) from age 67. Between your retirement age and 67, your pot is drawn down on its own, which is why retiring earlier needs a larger pot.

What if I am part of a couple?

Use the couple toggle. A couple receives up to two State Pensions and we assume living costs of about 1.35x a single person (shared housing and bills). This is an illustrative assumption, so treat the couple figures as a guide rather than exact.

See your UK FI number

Adjusted for state pension, ISA bridging, and 25% pension tax-free lump sum. Not a US spreadsheet.

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