Men are expected to spend nearly £300 on their woman this Christmas, according to research from dating site SeekingArrangement.com.

Relationships on Female First

Relationships on Female First

This shatters thoughts that women believe it’s the thought that counts when it comes to gifts, with women more concerned about how much it cost.

The average male Brit will earn £30,852 a year. Women expect a man to spend half a week’s earnings on their Christmas gift.

This means that British women are expecting their present to be worth at least £296.50 this Christmas.

Of course, men also expect a certain amount to be spent on them but it is much lower at less than a third of a woman’s weekly wage.

Obviously as income increases, so does the expectation on spending – so a woman whose partner earned around £100,000 would expect a present costing around £1,000.

The poll also asked women and men to name their perfect Christmas presents.

The top five gifts for women were:

1 Christian Louboutin shoes

2 Burberry coat

3 A pet

4 Birkin bag

5 Graff jewellery

The top five gifts for men were:

1 A football season ticket

2 An iPad

3 A Rolex watch

4 A Paul Smith suit

5 Gardening equipment

Her least favourite gifts:

1 Household items

2 Vouchers

3 Champagne

4 A gym subscription

5 Kitchen appliance

His least favourite gifts:

1 A tie

2 Socks

3 A shirt

4 A book

5 Cufflinks

Businessman Dexter Koh, 30, said he would spent around £2,000 on his girlfriend's Christmas present.

Koh, a London-based entrepreneur, said, “That phrase, 'It's the thought that counts' is such nonsense. It's the noughts that count - how much have you spend on the present.

“A nice pair Christian Louboutins will get you a lot more Brownie points that a few pictures you have stuck together in an album.”

Koh, who is dating a 21-year-old Oxford University student he met on the site, plans to whisk his new lover away on a Christmas break.

He smiled, “I can't say where we are going because it is a surprise but no expense will be spared.”

Traditionally men are expected to spend two month’s money on an engagement ring.

The figure for a Christmas present was always expected to be lower – but what was surprising was how important expenditure was to women.

SeekingArrangement founder Brandon Wade said, “What this shows is that girls love to be treated like princess and spoilt.

“It might be a cliché but the sexiest thing about a man to many women is his wallet.

“Women want to be pampered and they expect men to spend far more on them than they do on their men.”