It depends on the design, the specification and current market prices for materials and labour. Timber frame can reduce the construction programme and therefore financing and preliminaries costs, while block construction may be cheaper in direct materials in some markets. The only reliable comparison is priced quotations for the same house.
Cost comparisons are frequently made on an incomplete basis. A timber frame quotation may cover the frame, insulation and sheathing but not the external leaf, while a block quotation may be labour and materials only. To compare properly, price the same finished specification, including insulation, external finish, airtightness measures and programme effects.
Programme matters financially. A faster weathertight shell can reduce site preliminaries, scaffolding hire, and interest on borrowings, and it allows internal trades to start earlier, which can offset a higher headline price.