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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Bristol vs Cardiff in 2026: cost index 108 vs 92, rent £1,100 vs £850, income £34,000 vs £31,000, QoL 62 vs 63.
Bristol vs Cardiff in 2026: cost index 108 vs 92, rent £1,100 vs £850, income £34,000 vs £31,000, QoL 62 vs 63.
Bristol ranks #1 with a cost index of 108 and rent of £1,100/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 100 (+1 vs national average of 99).
Average quality of life: 63/100. Top: Bristol at 62/100.
Safest city: Bristol (63/100 safety score).
Here's what the headline numbers don't tell you: Bristol stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 108 and median income of £34,000, it offers competitive value despite costs slightly above the national median. This is where the math gets real for actual people.
On quality of life, Cardiff leads with a composite score of 63/100 — reflecting its safety (62), 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.
The country average QoL score is 61/100. Bristol leads with 62/100, 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.
Bristol (ranked #1) has a cost index of 108 and rent of £1,100/mo. Cardiff (#2) has index 92 and rent £850/mo — a 16-point gap.