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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Cambridge safety score: 74/100 (crime rate 44.8/1k) — above the United Kingdom average of 61/100. Here's how Cambridge compares to cities in East of England and what the data means for everyday life.
Cambridge safety score: 74/100 (crime rate 44.8/1k) — above the United Kingdom average of 61/100. Here's how Cambridge compares to cities in East of England and what the data means for everyday life.
Cambridge: cost index 129 (+26 vs national avg 103), rent £1,450/month.
East of England region average cost index: 103. Cambridge is +26 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 61/100 — safety 74, healthcare 88, walkability 82.
Safety score: 74/100 (crime rate 44.8/1k). National average: 61/100.
Strip away assumptions, and something unexpected emerges. Cambridge has a cost index of 129 — 26 points above the United Kingdom national average of 103. Median income is £41,000 with rent at £1,450/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 42%. Financially, that's significant.
That said, looking at East of England as a whole, the spread across all 27 cities is 26 points on the cost index. Manchester sits at the other end with index 103 and rent of £1,080/mo. That's a difference you notice every single month.
On quality of life, Cambridge scores a composite score of 61/100 — reflecting its safety (74), healthcare (88), and walkability (82) metrics. Layer in taxes, though, and the math changes. 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 | QoL | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cambridge | 129 | £1,450 | £41,000 | 61 | 74 |
| 2 | York | 107 | £1,080 | £34,700 | 64 | 76 |
| 3 | Exeter | 106 | £1,020 | £32,600 | 64 | 72 |
| 4 | Edinburgh | 110 | £1,220 | £37,000 | 65 | 72 |
| 5 | Oxford | 132 | £1,500 | £39,000 | 58 | 70 |
| 6 | Aberdeen | 98 | £810 | £35,800 | 65 | 70 |
| 7 | Norwich | 99 | £920 | £32,000 | 62 | 68 |
| 8 | Reading | 124 | £1,300 | £40,000 | 56 | 65 |
| 9 | Plymouth | 97 | £870 | £31,000 | 63 | 65 |
| 10 | Bristol | 112 | £1,200 | £35,800 | 61 | 63 |
| 11 | Brighton | 122 | £1,350 | £37,000 | 57 | 62 |
| 12 | Cardiff | 96 | £940 | £32,600 | 62 | 62 |
| 13 | Swansea | 87 | £720 | £29,500 | 66 | 62 |
| 14 | Southampton | 113 | £1,130 | £35,200 | 56 | 60 |
| 15 | Sheffield | 91 | £830 | £30,000 | 65 | 60 |
| 16 | Belfast | 89 | £780 | £30,500 | 62 | 60 |
| 17 | London | 142 | £2,000 | £42,500 | 56 | 58 |
| 18 | Leeds | 96 | £950 | £31,600 | 59 | 58 |
| 19 | Coventry | 94 | £880 | £30,500 | 56 | 56 |
| 20 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 89 | £800 | £30,500 | 63 | 56 |
Cambridge — cost index 129, rent £1,450/mo, income £41,000, QoL 61/100.
York — cost index 107, rent £1,080/mo, income £34,700, QoL 64/100.
Exeter — cost index 106, rent £1,020/mo, income £32,600, QoL 64/100.
Edinburgh — cost index 110, rent £1,220/mo, income £37,000, QoL 65/100.
Oxford — cost index 132, rent £1,500/mo, income £39,000, QoL 58/100.
Cambridge has a safety score of 74/100 and a crime rate of 44.8/1,000 residents. The United Kingdom average safety score is 61/100.
The East of England region of average QoL score is 60/100. Cambridge leads with 61/100, 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.
Cambridge: cost index 129, rent £1,450/mo, income £41,000/yr, QoL 61/100. York: cost index 107, rent £1,080/mo, income £34,700/yr, QoL 64/100.
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.