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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Can you afford Nottingham on a £40K salary? Rent would be 26% of gross monthly income — within the recommended 30% threshold. Budget breakdown vs East Midlands peers below.
Can you afford Nottingham on a £40K salary? Rent would be 26% of gross monthly income — within the recommended 30% threshold. Budget breakdown vs East Midlands peers below.
Nottingham: cost index 94 (-9 vs national avg 103), rent £880/month.
East Midlands region average cost index: 103. Nottingham is -9 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 59/100 — safety 54, healthcare 72, walkability 72.
Safety score: 54/100 (crime rate 96.8/1k). National average: 61/100.
On a £40K salary, rent in Nottingham is 26% of gross monthly income — within the 30% rule.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nottingham | 94 | £880 | £31,000 |
| 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 | 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 |
The conventional wisdom says one thing. The data says another: Nottingham has a cost index of 94 — 9 points below the United Kingdom national average of 103. Median income is £31,000 with rent at £880/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 34%. That ratio is hard to beat anywhere else.
That said, looking at East Midlands as a whole, the spread across all 27 cities is 48 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, Nottingham scores a composite score of 59/100 — reflecting its safety (54), healthcare (72), and walkability (72) metrics. And here's the trade-off: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and United Kingdom is a good example of that tension.
Nottingham — cost index 94, rent £880/mo, income £31,000, QoL 59/100.
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.
Nottingham has a cost index of 94 (national avg: 103), rent £880/mo, median income £31,000/yr, and a quality of life score of 59/100.
In Nottingham, rent would be about 26% of your gross monthly income on £40K. Well within the recommended 30% threshold.
The East Midlands region of average QoL score is 60/100. Nottingham leads with 59/100, 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.
Nottingham: cost index 94, rent £880/mo, income £31,000/yr, QoL 59/100. 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.