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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Is London good for families? Safety score 58/100, crime rate 95.1/1k. Cost index 142, rent £2,000/mo. Compared to 26 other London cities below.
Is London good for families? Safety score 58/100, crime rate 95.1/1k. Cost index 142, rent £2,000/mo. Compared to 26 other London cities below.
London: cost index 142 (+39 vs national avg 103), rent £2,000/month.
London region average cost index: 103. London is +39 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 56/100 — safety 58, healthcare 82, walkability 89.
Safety score: 58/100 (crime rate 95.1/1k). National average: 61/100.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | 142 | £2,000 | £42,500 |
| 2 | York | 107 | £1,080 | £34,700 |
| 3 | Cambridge | 129 | £1,450 | £41,000 |
| 4 | Exeter | 106 | £1,020 | £32,600 |
| 5 | Edinburgh | 110 | £1,220 | £37,000 |
| 6 | Oxford | 132 | £1,500 | £39,000 |
| 7 | Aberdeen | 98 | £810 | £35,800 |
| 8 | Norwich | 99 | £920 | £32,000 |
| 9 | Reading | 124 | £1,300 | £40,000 |
| 10 | Plymouth | 97 | £870 | £31,000 |
| 11 | Bristol | 112 | £1,200 | £35,800 |
| 12 | Brighton | 122 | £1,350 | £37,000 |
| 13 | Cardiff | 96 | £940 | £32,600 |
| 14 | Swansea | 87 | £720 | £29,500 |
| 15 | Southampton | 113 | £1,130 | £35,200 |
| 16 | Sheffield | 91 | £830 | £30,000 |
| 17 | Belfast | 89 | £780 | £30,500 |
| 18 | Leeds | 96 | £950 | £31,600 |
| 19 | Coventry | 94 | £880 | £30,500 |
| 20 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 89 | £800 | £30,500 |
Most comparisons stop at rent. We didn't. London has a cost index of 142 — 39 points above the United Kingdom national average of 103. Median income is £42,500 with rent at £2,000/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 56%. That's a strong position by any measure.
But here's the flip side: looking at London as a whole, the spread across all 27 cities is 39 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, London scores a composite score of 56/100 — reflecting its safety (58), healthcare (82), and walkability (89) metrics. Context matters here. affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and United Kingdom is a good example of that tension.
London — cost index 142, rent £2,000/mo, income £42,500, QoL 56/100.
York — cost index 107, rent £1,080/mo, income £34,700, QoL 64/100.
Cambridge — cost index 129, rent £1,450/mo, income £41,000, QoL 61/100.
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.
London scores 56/100 on the relevant index for families — with rent of £2,000/month and cost index 142 (39 points above the national average of 103).
The London region of average QoL score is 60/100. London 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.
London: cost index 142, rent £2,000/mo, income £42,500/yr, QoL 56/100. 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.