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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in East Midlands for 2026. Leicester leads with a cost index of 93 and rent of £860/month.
Ranking of cities in East Midlands for 2026. Leicester leads with a cost index of 93 and rent of £860/month.
Leicester ranks #1 with a cost index of 93 and rent of £860/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 94 (-9 vs national average of 103).
Average quality of life: 58/100. Top: Leicester at 57/100.
Safest city: Leicester (55/100 safety score).
0 out of 2 cities keep rent under 30% of a £30K gross income.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leicester | 93 | £860 | £30,000 |
| 2 | Nottingham | 94 | £880 | £31,000 |
Strip away assumptions, and something unexpected emerges. Leicester stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 93 and median income of £30,000, it offers below-average costs relative to the rest of United Kingdom. Financially, that's significant.
On quality of life, Nottingham leads with a composite score of 59/100 — reflecting its safety (54), healthcare (72), and walkability (72) 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.
Leicester — cost index 93, rent £860/mo, income £30,000, QoL 57/100.
Nottingham — cost index 94, rent £880/mo, income £31,000, QoL 59/100.
Leicester ranks #1 in East Midlands for this analysis with a cost index of 93 and median income of £30,000.
In Leicester, rent would be about 34% of your gross monthly income on £30K. Consider cost-cutting measures or a roommate.
The region average QoL score is 60/100. Leicester leads with 57/100, 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.
Leicester (ranked #1) has a cost index of 93 and rent of £860/mo. Nottingham (#2) has index 94 and rent £880/mo — a 1-point gap.
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.