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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in South West for 2026. Plymouth leads with a cost index of 94 and rent of £800/month.
Ranking of cities in South West for 2026. Plymouth leads with a cost index of 94 and rent of £800/month.
Plymouth ranks #1 with a cost index of 94 and rent of £800/month.
The median city is Exeter — cost index 102, rent £950/mo.
Average cost index across these cities: 101 (+2 vs national average of 99).
Average quality of life: 64/100. Top: Plymouth at 64/100.
Safest city: Exeter (72/100 safety score).
Here's the surprising part: Plymouth stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 94 and median income of £29,500, it offers below-average costs relative to the rest of United Kingdom. Financially, that's significant.
On quality of life, Exeter leads with a composite score of 65/100 — reflecting its safety (72), healthcare (74), and walkability (70) metrics. Pair that with the housing data, and the pattern sharpens. affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and United Kingdom is a good example of that tension.
Plymouth — cost index 94, rent £800/mo, income £29,500, QoL 64/100.
Exeter — cost index 102, rent £950/mo, income £31,000, QoL 65/100.
Bristol — cost index 108, rent £1,100/mo, income £34,000, QoL 62/100.
Plymouth ranks #1 in South West for this analysis with a cost index of 94 and median income of £29,500.
The region average QoL score is 61/100. Plymouth leads with 64/100, reflecting its 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.
Plymouth (ranked #1) has a cost index of 94 and rent of £800/mo. Bristol (#3) has index 108 and rent £1,100/mo — a 14-point gap.
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.