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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Coventry air quality: AQI 34 — good. Green space 18%. Compared to West Midlands cities in 2026.
Coventry air quality: AQI 34 — good. Green space 18%. Compared to West Midlands cities in 2026.
Coventry: cost index 94 (-9 vs national avg 103), rent £880/month.
West Midlands region average cost index: 103. Coventry is -9 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 56/100 — safety 56, healthcare 65, walkability 60.
Safety score: 56/100 (crime rate 88.5/1k). National average: 61/100.
Here's the finding that keeps coming up in different analyses: Coventry has a cost index of 94 — 9 points below the United Kingdom national average of 103. Median income is £30,500 with rent at £880/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 35%. Financially, that's significant.
Here's where it gets complicated: looking at West Midlands as a whole, the spread across all 27 cities is 48 points on the cost index. London sits at the other end with index 142 and rent of £2,000/mo. This combination is rare — and valuable.
On quality of life, Coventry scores a composite score of 56/100 — reflecting its safety (56), healthcare (65), and walkability (60) 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.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coventry | 94 | £880 | £30,500 |
| 2 | Aberdeen | 98 | £810 | £35,800 |
| 3 | Plymouth | 97 | £870 | £31,000 |
| 4 | Swansea | 87 | £720 | £29,500 |
| 5 | Belfast | 89 | £780 | £30,500 |
| 6 | Exeter | 106 | £1,020 | £32,600 |
| 7 | Norwich | 99 | £920 | £32,000 |
| 8 | York | 107 | £1,080 | £34,700 |
| 9 | Edinburgh | 110 | £1,220 | £37,000 |
| 10 | Cambridge | 129 | £1,450 | £41,000 |
| 11 | Oxford | 132 | £1,500 | £39,000 |
| 12 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 89 | £800 | £30,500 |
| 13 | Cardiff | 96 | £940 | £32,600 |
| 14 | Bristol | 112 | £1,200 | £35,800 |
| 15 | Brighton | 122 | £1,350 | £37,000 |
| 16 | Sheffield | 91 | £830 | £30,000 |
| 17 | Sunderland | 83 | £660 | £28,400 |
| 18 | Glasgow | 95 | £960 | £32,600 |
| 19 | Reading | 124 | £1,300 | £40,000 |
| 20 | Southampton | 113 | £1,130 | £35,200 |
Coventry — cost index 94, rent £880/mo, income £30,500, QoL 56/100.
Aberdeen — cost index 98, rent £810/mo, income £35,800, QoL 65/100.
Plymouth — cost index 97, rent £870/mo, income £31,000, QoL 63/100.
Swansea — cost index 87, rent £720/mo, income £29,500, QoL 66/100.
Belfast — cost index 89, rent £780/mo, income £30,500, QoL 62/100.
Coventry has a cost index of 94 (national avg: 103), rent £880/mo, median income £30,500/yr, and a quality of life score of 56/100.
The West Midlands region of average QoL score is 60/100. Coventry leads with 56/100, 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.
Coventry: cost index 94, rent £880/mo, income £30,500/yr, QoL 56/100. Aberdeen: cost index 98, rent £810/mo, income £35,800/yr, QoL 65/100.
This analysis uses data from ONS, Land Registry, HMRC to rank cities in United Kingdom. The cost of living index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Quality of life scores combine safety, healthcare, walkability, air quality, green space, and transit metrics. Salary ranges use national occupation data adjusted for local cost differences. Data is updated regularly to reflect current market conditions.