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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Can you afford Cambridge on a £20K salary? Rent would be 87% of gross monthly income — above the recommended 30% threshold. Budget breakdown vs East of England peers below.
Can you afford Cambridge on a £20K salary? Rent would be 87% of gross monthly income — above the recommended 30% threshold. Budget breakdown vs East of England peers below.
Cambridge: cost index 129 (+26 vs national avg 103), rent £1,450/month.
East of England region average cost index: 103. Cambridge is +26 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 61/100 — safety 74, healthcare 88, walkability 82.
Safety score: 74/100 (crime rate 44.8/1k). National average: 61/100.
On a £20K salary, rent in Cambridge is 87% of gross monthly income — above the 30% rule.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cambridge | 129 | £1,450 | £41,000 |
| 2 | Sunderland | 83 | £660 | £28,400 |
| 3 | Swansea | 87 | £720 | £29,500 |
| 4 | Belfast | 89 | £780 | £30,500 |
| 5 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 89 | £800 | £30,500 |
| 6 | Aberdeen | 98 | £810 | £35,800 |
| 7 | Liverpool | 92 | £830 | £30,500 |
| 8 | Sheffield | 91 | £830 | £30,000 |
| 9 | Leicester | 93 | £860 | £30,000 |
| 10 | Plymouth | 97 | £870 | £31,000 |
| 11 | Coventry | 94 | £880 | £30,500 |
| 12 | Nottingham | 94 | £880 | £31,000 |
| 13 | Norwich | 99 | £920 | £32,000 |
| 14 | Cardiff | 96 | £940 | £32,600 |
| 15 | Birmingham | 97 | £950 | £32,200 |
| 16 | Leeds | 96 | £950 | £31,600 |
| 17 | Glasgow | 95 | £960 | £32,600 |
| 18 | Exeter | 106 | £1,020 | £32,600 |
| 19 | Manchester | 103 | £1,080 | £33,800 |
| 20 | York | 107 | £1,080 | £34,700 |
Here's the surprising part: Cambridge has a cost index of 129 — 26 points above the United Kingdom national average of 103. Median income is £41,000 with rent at £1,450/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 42%. Financially, that's significant.
Zooming out, looking at East of England as a whole, the spread across all 27 cities is 13 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, Cambridge scores a composite score of 61/100 — reflecting its safety (74), healthcare (88), and walkability (82) metrics. That said, affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and United Kingdom is a good example of that tension.
Cambridge — cost index 129, rent £1,450/mo, income £41,000, QoL 61/100.
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.
Belfast — cost index 89, rent £780/mo, income £30,500, QoL 62/100.
Newcastle upon Tyne — cost index 89, rent £800/mo, income £30,500, QoL 63/100.
Cambridge has a cost index of 129 (national avg: 103), rent £1,450/mo, median income £41,000/yr, and a quality of life score of 61/100.
In Cambridge, rent would be about 87% of your gross monthly income on £20K. Consider cost-cutting measures or a roommate.
The East of England region of average QoL score is 60/100. Cambridge leads with 61/100, 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.
Cambridge: cost index 129, rent £1,450/mo, income £41,000/yr, QoL 61/100. 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.