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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Cardiff climate: 1518 sunshine hours/year, avg summer 20°C / winter 5°C. Compared to other Wales cities.
Cardiff climate: 1518 sunshine hours/year, avg summer 20°C / winter 5°C. Compared to other Wales cities.
Cardiff: cost index 96 (-7 vs national avg 103), rent £940/month.
Wales region average cost index: 103. Cardiff is -7 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 62/100 — safety 62, healthcare 72, walkability 72.
Safety score: 62/100 (crime rate 72.5/1k). National average: 61/100.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income | Sunshine hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiff | 96 | £940 | £32,600 | 1518 |
| 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 | Cambridge | 129 | £1,450 | £41,000 | 1504 |
| 12 | London | 142 | £2,000 | £42,500 | 1481 |
| 13 | Edinburgh | 110 | £1,220 | £37,000 | 1437 |
| 14 | Sunderland | 83 | £660 | £28,400 | 1382 |
| 15 | Leicester | 93 | £860 | £30,000 | 1380 |
| 16 | Nottingham | 94 | £880 | £31,000 | 1372 |
| 17 | Birmingham | 97 | £950 | £32,200 | 1364 |
| 18 | Liverpool | 92 | £830 | £30,500 | 1352 |
| 19 | Coventry | 94 | £880 | £30,500 | 1350 |
| 20 | Aberdeen | 98 | £810 | £35,800 | 1340 |
Let's cut to what actually matters here. Cardiff has a cost index of 96 — 7 points below the United Kingdom national average of 103. Median income is £32,600 with rent at £940/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 35%. This combination is rare — and valuable.
And there's one more thing: looking at Wales as a whole, the spread across all 27 cities is 1 points on the cost index. Glasgow sits at the other end with index 95 and rent of £960/mo. Financially, that's significant.
On quality of life, Cardiff scores a composite score of 62/100 — reflecting its safety (62), healthcare (72), and walkability (72) metrics. That said, affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and United Kingdom is a good example of that tension.
Cardiff — cost index 96, rent £940/mo, income £32,600, QoL 62/100.
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.
Cardiff has a cost index of 96 (national avg: 103), rent £940/mo, median income £32,600/yr, and a quality of life score of 62/100.
The Wales region of average QoL score is 60/100. Cardiff 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.
Cardiff: cost index 96, rent £940/mo, income £32,600/yr, QoL 62/100. 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.