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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Grocery prices in Belfast: milk £1, bread £1, eggs £2/12. Compare grocery basket costs across Northern Ireland cities.
Grocery prices in Belfast: milk £1, bread £1, eggs £2/12. Compare grocery basket costs across Northern Ireland cities.
Belfast: cost index 89 (-14 vs national avg 103), rent £780/month.
Northern Ireland region average cost index: 103. Belfast is -14 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 62/100 — safety 60, healthcare 68, walkability 72.
Safety score: 60/100 (crime rate 75.8/1k). National average: 61/100.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belfast | 89 | £780 | £30,500 |
| 2 | Sunderland | 83 | £660 | £28,400 |
| 3 | Swansea | 87 | £720 | £29,500 |
| 4 | Leicester | 93 | £860 | £30,000 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 92 | £830 | £30,500 |
| 6 | Sheffield | 91 | £830 | £30,000 |
| 7 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 89 | £800 | £30,500 |
| 8 | Coventry | 94 | £880 | £30,500 |
| 9 | Nottingham | 94 | £880 | £31,000 |
| 10 | Leeds | 96 | £950 | £31,600 |
| 11 | Cardiff | 96 | £940 | £32,600 |
| 12 | Glasgow | 95 | £960 | £32,600 |
| 13 | Plymouth | 97 | £870 | £31,000 |
| 14 | Birmingham | 97 | £950 | £32,200 |
| 15 | Manchester | 103 | £1,080 | £33,800 |
| 16 | Norwich | 99 | £920 | £32,000 |
| 17 | Exeter | 106 | £1,020 | £32,600 |
| 18 | Aberdeen | 98 | £810 | £35,800 |
| 19 | Southampton | 113 | £1,130 | £35,200 |
| 20 | Bristol | 112 | £1,200 | £35,800 |
Here's what the headline numbers don't tell you: Belfast has a cost index of 89 — 14 points below the United Kingdom national average of 103. Median income is £30,500 with rent at £780/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 31%. Financially, that's significant.
And here's the trade-off: looking at Northern Ireland as a whole, the spread across all 27 cities is 53 points on the cost index. London sits at the other end with index 142 and rent of £2,000/mo. That's a strong position by any measure.
On quality of life, Belfast scores a composite score of 62/100 — reflecting its safety (60), healthcare (68), and walkability (72) metrics. Pair that with the housing data, and the pattern sharpens. affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and United Kingdom is a good example of that tension.
Belfast — cost index 89, rent £780/mo, income £30,500, QoL 62/100.
Sunderland — cost index 83, rent £660/mo, income £28,400, QoL 59/100.
Swansea — cost index 87, rent £720/mo, income £29,500, QoL 66/100.
Leicester — cost index 93, rent £860/mo, income £30,000, QoL 57/100.
Liverpool — cost index 92, rent £830/mo, income £30,500, QoL 57/100.
Belfast has a cost index of 89 (national avg: 103), rent £780/mo, median income £30,500/yr, and a quality of life score of 62/100.
The Northern Ireland region of average QoL score is 60/100. Belfast leads with 62/100, reflecting 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.
Belfast: cost index 89, rent £780/mo, income £30,500/yr, QoL 62/100. Sunderland: cost index 83, rent £660/mo, income £28,400/yr, QoL 59/100.
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.