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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Cardiff vs Southampton in 2026: cost index 96 vs 113, rent £940 vs £1,130, income £32,600 vs £35,200, QoL 62 vs 56.
Cardiff vs Southampton in 2026: cost index 96 vs 113, rent £940 vs £1,130, income £32,600 vs £35,200, QoL 62 vs 56.
Cardiff: cost index 96 (-7 vs national avg 103), rent £940/month.
Wales region average cost index: 105. Cardiff is -9 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.
Here's what the headline numbers don't tell you: 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%. 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. 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.
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 59/100. 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. Southampton: cost index 113, rent £1,130/mo, income £35,200/yr, QoL 56/100.