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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in United Kingdom for 2026. Brighton leads with a cost index of 118 and rent of £1,250/month.
Ranking of cities in United Kingdom for 2026. Brighton leads with a cost index of 118 and rent of £1,250/month.
Brighton ranks #1 with a cost index of 118 and rent of £1,250/month.
The median city is Sunderland — cost index 80, rent £600/mo.
Average cost index across these cities: 99 (0 vs national average of 99).
Average quality of life: 61/100. Top: Brighton at 58/100.
Safest city: York (76/100 safety score).
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income | Sunshine hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brighton | 118 | £1,250 | £35,000 | 1782 |
| 2 | Southampton | 110 | £1,050 | £33,500 | 1720 |
| 3 | Plymouth | 94 | £800 | £29,500 | 1654 |
| 4 | Exeter | 102 | £950 | £31,000 | 1600 |
| 5 | Oxford | 128 | £1,400 | £37,000 | 1560 |
| 6 | Norwich | 96 | £850 | £30,500 | 1548 |
| 7 | Bristol | 108 | £1,100 | £34,000 | 1541 |
| 8 | Reading | 120 | £1,200 | £38,000 | 1540 |
| 9 | Swansea | 84 | £650 | £28,000 | 1530 |
| 10 | Cardiff | 92 | £850 | £31,000 | 1518 |
| 11 | Cambridge | 125 | £1,350 | £39,000 | 1504 |
| 12 | London | 138 | £1,850 | £40,300 | 1481 |
| 13 | Edinburgh | 105 | £1,100 | £35,000 | 1437 |
| 14 | Sunderland | 80 | £600 | £27,000 | 1382 |
| 15 | Leicester | 89 | £780 | £28,500 | 1380 |
| 16 | Nottingham | 90 | £800 | £29,500 | 1372 |
| 17 | Birmingham | 93 | £850 | £30,500 | 1364 |
| 18 | Liverpool | 88 | £750 | £29,000 | 1352 |
| 19 | Coventry | 90 | £800 | £29,000 | 1350 |
| 20 | Aberdeen | 95 | £750 | £34,000 | 1340 |
Strip away assumptions, and something unexpected emerges. Brighton stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 118 and median income of £35,000, it offers competitive value despite costs slightly above the national median. Financially, that's significant.
That said, the spread across all 27 cities is 28 points on the cost index. Glasgow sits at the other end with index 90 and rent of £850/mo. That's a difference you notice every single month.
On quality of life, Edinburgh leads with a composite score of 67/100 — reflecting its safety (72), healthcare (80), and walkability (84) metrics. That said, affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and United Kingdom is a good example of that tension.
Brighton — cost index 118, rent £1,250/mo, income £35,000, QoL 58/100.
Southampton — cost index 110, rent £1,050/mo, income £33,500, QoL 57/100.
Plymouth — cost index 94, rent £800/mo, income £29,500, QoL 64/100.
Exeter — cost index 102, rent £950/mo, income £31,000, QoL 65/100.
Oxford — cost index 128, rent £1,400/mo, income £37,000, QoL 59/100.
The country average QoL score is 61/100. Brighton leads with 58/100, reflecting its safety, healthcare access, walkability, and green space.
Our index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Sub-categories cover housing, food, transport, utilities, and healthcare. Data sources include ONS, Land Registry, HMRC.
Brighton (ranked #1) has a cost index of 118 and rent of £1,250/mo. Glasgow (#27) has index 90 and rent £850/mo — a 28-point gap.
This analysis uses data from ONS, Land Registry, HMRC to rank cities in United Kingdom. The cost of living index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Quality of life scores combine safety, healthcare, walkability, air quality, green space, and transit metrics. Salary ranges use national occupation data adjusted for local cost differences. Data is updated regularly to reflect current market conditions.