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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Edinburgh vs Belfast in 2026: cost index 105 vs 85, rent £1,100 vs £700, income £35,000 vs £29,000, QoL 67 vs 63.
Edinburgh vs Belfast in 2026: cost index 105 vs 85, rent £1,100 vs £700, income £35,000 vs £29,000, QoL 67 vs 63.
Edinburgh ranks #1 with a cost index of 105 and rent of £1,100/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 95 (-4 vs national average of 99).
Average quality of life: 65/100. Top: Edinburgh at 67/100.
Safest city: Edinburgh (72/100 safety score).
One stat flips the usual narrative: Edinburgh stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 105 and median income of £35,000, it offers competitive value despite costs slightly above the national median. Financially, that's significant.
On quality of life, Edinburgh leads with a composite score of 67/100 — reflecting its safety (72), healthcare (80), and walkability (84) 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. Edinburgh leads with 67/100, 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.
Edinburgh (ranked #1) has a cost index of 105 and rent of £1,100/mo. Belfast (#2) has index 85 and rent £700/mo — a 20-point gap.