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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Can you afford Liverpool on a £50K salary? Rent would be 20% of gross monthly income — within the recommended 30% threshold. Budget breakdown vs North West peers below.
Can you afford Liverpool on a £50K salary? Rent would be 20% of gross monthly income — within the recommended 30% threshold. Budget breakdown vs North West peers below.
Liverpool: cost index 92 (-11 vs national avg 103), rent £830/month.
North West region average cost index: 103. Liverpool is -11 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 57/100 — safety 52, healthcare 70, walkability 72.
Safety score: 52/100 (crime rate 98.7/1k). National average: 61/100.
On a £50K salary, rent in Liverpool is 20% of gross monthly income — within the 30% rule.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 92 | £830 | £30,500 |
| 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 | Sheffield | 91 | £830 | £30,000 |
| 8 | Leicester | 93 | £860 | £30,000 |
| 9 | Plymouth | 97 | £870 | £31,000 |
| 10 | Coventry | 94 | £880 | £30,500 |
| 11 | Nottingham | 94 | £880 | £31,000 |
| 12 | Norwich | 99 | £920 | £32,000 |
| 13 | Cardiff | 96 | £940 | £32,600 |
| 14 | Birmingham | 97 | £950 | £32,200 |
| 15 | Leeds | 96 | £950 | £31,600 |
| 16 | Glasgow | 95 | £960 | £32,600 |
| 17 | Exeter | 106 | £1,020 | £32,600 |
| 18 | Manchester | 103 | £1,080 | £33,800 |
| 19 | York | 107 | £1,080 | £34,700 |
| 20 | Southampton | 113 | £1,130 | £35,200 |
One stat flips the usual narrative: Liverpool has a cost index of 92 — 11 points below the United Kingdom national average of 103. Median income is £30,500 with rent at £830/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 33%. Financially, that's significant.
Context matters here. looking at North West as a whole, the spread across all 27 cities is 50 points on the cost index. London sits at the other end with index 142 and rent of £2,000/mo. That's a difference you notice every single month.
On quality of life, Liverpool scores a composite score of 57/100 — reflecting its safety (52), healthcare (70), and walkability (72) metrics. Zooming out, affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and United Kingdom is a good example of that tension.
Liverpool — cost index 92, rent £830/mo, income £30,500, QoL 57/100.
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.
Liverpool has a cost index of 92 (national avg: 103), rent £830/mo, median income £30,500/yr, and a quality of life score of 57/100.
In Liverpool, rent would be about 20% of your gross monthly income on £50K. Well within the recommended 30% threshold.
The North West region of average QoL score is 60/100. Liverpool leads with 57/100, 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.
Liverpool: cost index 92, rent £830/mo, income £30,500/yr, QoL 57/100. 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.