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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Bristol vs Swansea in 2026: cost index 108 vs 84, rent £1,100 vs £650, income £34,000 vs £28,000, QoL 62 vs 66.
Bristol vs Swansea in 2026: cost index 108 vs 84, rent £1,100 vs £650, income £34,000 vs £28,000, QoL 62 vs 66.
Bristol ranks #1 with a cost index of 108 and rent of £1,100/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 96 (-3 vs national average of 99).
Average quality of life: 64/100. Top: Bristol at 62/100.
Safest city: Bristol (63/100 safety score).
The conventional wisdom says one thing. The data says another: 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 combination is rare — and valuable.
On quality of life, Swansea leads with a composite score of 66/100 — reflecting its safety (62), healthcare (65), and walkability (62) metrics. Zooming out, 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. Swansea (#2) has index 84 and rent £650/mo — a 24-point gap.