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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Cardiff vs Belfast in 2026: cost index 96 vs 89, rent £940 vs £780, income £32,600 vs £30,500, QoL 62 vs 62.
Cardiff vs Belfast in 2026: cost index 96 vs 89, rent £940 vs £780, income £32,600 vs £30,500, QoL 62 vs 62.
Cardiff: cost index 96 (-7 vs national avg 103), rent £940/month.
Wales region average cost index: 93. Cardiff is +3 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.
One stat flips the usual narrative: 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.
On quality of life, Cardiff scores a composite score of 62/100 — reflecting its safety (62), healthcare (72), and walkability (72) metrics. Context matters here. affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and United Kingdom is a good example of that tension.
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 62/100. 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. Belfast: cost index 89, rent £780/mo, income £30,500/yr, QoL 62/100.