Families living in the countryside need to bring in an extra £264 per week, or nearly £14,000-a-year, to survive, according to new research.
Figures from Money Mail revealed that higher energy bills and fuel costs are two of the main reasons for the increased cost of living.
Over 1.6 million rural properties are not connected to the mains gas work, which means that heating oil needs to be purchased.
The cost of this fuel rose recently by ten per cent in just one year, while extra funds are needed to pay for its delivery by tanker and its storage on the family's land.
Other reasons cited by Money Mail included higher petrol bills, insurance rises and a lack of local bank branches.
Furthermore, older cottages or farmhouses could have poor insulation, costing the occupants more to keep them heated.
This is especially bad news when energy companies keep putting up their prices.