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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Birmingham climate: 1364 sunshine hours/year, avg summer 21°C / winter 3°C. Compared to other West Midlands cities.
Birmingham climate: 1364 sunshine hours/year, avg summer 21°C / winter 3°C. Compared to other West Midlands cities.
Birmingham: cost index 97 (-6 vs national avg 103), rent £950/month.
West Midlands region average cost index: 103. Birmingham is -6 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 56/100 — safety 52, healthcare 70, walkability 68.
Safety score: 52/100 (crime rate 103.2/1k). National average: 61/100.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income | Sunshine hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham | 97 | £950 | £32,200 | 1364 |
| 2 | Brighton | 122 | £1,350 | £37,000 | 1782 |
| 3 | Southampton | 113 | £1,130 | £35,200 | 1720 |
| 4 | Plymouth | 97 | £870 | £31,000 | 1654 |
| 5 | Exeter | 106 | £1,020 | £32,600 | 1600 |
| 6 | Oxford | 132 | £1,500 | £39,000 | 1560 |
| 7 | Norwich | 99 | £920 | £32,000 | 1548 |
| 8 | Bristol | 112 | £1,200 | £35,800 | 1541 |
| 9 | Reading | 124 | £1,300 | £40,000 | 1540 |
| 10 | Swansea | 87 | £720 | £29,500 | 1530 |
| 11 | Cardiff | 96 | £940 | £32,600 | 1518 |
| 12 | Cambridge | 129 | £1,450 | £41,000 | 1504 |
| 13 | London | 142 | £2,000 | £42,500 | 1481 |
| 14 | Edinburgh | 110 | £1,220 | £37,000 | 1437 |
| 15 | Sunderland | 83 | £660 | £28,400 | 1382 |
| 16 | Leicester | 93 | £860 | £30,000 | 1380 |
| 17 | Nottingham | 94 | £880 | £31,000 | 1372 |
| 18 | Liverpool | 92 | £830 | £30,500 | 1352 |
| 19 | Coventry | 94 | £880 | £30,500 | 1350 |
| 20 | Aberdeen | 98 | £810 | £35,800 | 1340 |
Here's the finding that keeps coming up in different analyses: Birmingham has a cost index of 97 — 6 points below the United Kingdom national average of 103. Median income is £32,200 with rent at £950/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 35%. That gap is hard to ignore.
Zooming out, looking at West Midlands as a whole, the spread across all 27 cities is 2 points on the cost index. Glasgow sits at the other end with index 95 and rent of £960/mo. This combination is rare — and valuable.
On quality of life, Birmingham scores a composite score of 56/100 — reflecting its safety (52), healthcare (70), and walkability (68) metrics. Here's where it gets complicated: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and United Kingdom is a good example of that tension.
Birmingham — cost index 97, rent £950/mo, income £32,200, QoL 56/100.
Brighton — cost index 122, rent £1,350/mo, income £37,000, QoL 57/100.
Southampton — cost index 113, rent £1,130/mo, income £35,200, QoL 56/100.
Plymouth — cost index 97, rent £870/mo, income £31,000, QoL 63/100.
Exeter — cost index 106, rent £1,020/mo, income £32,600, QoL 64/100.
Birmingham has a cost index of 97 (national avg: 103), rent £950/mo, median income £32,200/yr, and a quality of life score of 56/100.
The West Midlands region of average QoL score is 60/100. Birmingham leads with 56/100, 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.
Birmingham: cost index 97, rent £950/mo, income £32,200/yr, QoL 56/100. Brighton: cost index 122, rent £1,350/mo, income £37,000/yr, QoL 57/100.
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.