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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Is Sunderland good for young professionals? Cost index 83, rent £660/mo, income £28,400, QoL 59/100. Compared to 26 other North East cities below.
Is Sunderland good for young professionals? Cost index 83, rent £660/mo, income £28,400, QoL 59/100. Compared to 26 other North East cities below.
Sunderland: cost index 83 (-20 vs national avg 103), rent £660/month.
North East region average cost index: 103. Sunderland is -20 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 59/100 — safety 54, healthcare 62, walkability 58.
Safety score: 54/100 (crime rate 92.1/1k). National average: 61/100.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunderland | 83 | £660 | £28,400 |
| 2 | Swansea | 87 | £720 | £29,500 |
| 3 | Sheffield | 91 | £830 | £30,000 |
| 4 | Edinburgh | 110 | £1,220 | £37,000 |
| 5 | Aberdeen | 98 | £810 | £35,800 |
| 6 | Exeter | 106 | £1,020 | £32,600 |
| 7 | York | 107 | £1,080 | £34,700 |
| 8 | Plymouth | 97 | £870 | £31,000 |
| 9 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 89 | £800 | £30,500 |
| 10 | Norwich | 99 | £920 | £32,000 |
| 11 | Cardiff | 96 | £940 | £32,600 |
| 12 | Belfast | 89 | £780 | £30,500 |
| 13 | Bristol | 112 | £1,200 | £35,800 |
| 14 | Cambridge | 129 | £1,450 | £41,000 |
| 15 | Glasgow | 95 | £960 | £32,600 |
| 16 | Nottingham | 94 | £880 | £31,000 |
| 17 | Leeds | 96 | £950 | £31,600 |
| 18 | Oxford | 132 | £1,500 | £39,000 |
| 19 | Brighton | 122 | £1,350 | £37,000 |
| 20 | Leicester | 93 | £860 | £30,000 |
Here's where the conversation shifts from 'affordable' to 'strategic': Sunderland has a cost index of 83 — 20 points below the United Kingdom national average of 103. Median income is £28,400 with rent at £660/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 28%. This combination is rare — and valuable.
Zooming out, looking at North East as a whole, the spread across all 27 cities is 20 points on the cost index. Manchester sits at the other end with index 103 and rent of £1,080/mo. That's a strong position by any measure.
On quality of life, Sunderland scores a composite score of 59/100 — reflecting its safety (54), healthcare (62), and walkability (58) metrics. And there's one more thing: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and United Kingdom is a good example of that tension.
Sunderland — cost index 83, rent £660/mo, income £28,400, QoL 59/100.
Swansea — cost index 87, rent £720/mo, income £29,500, QoL 66/100.
Sheffield — cost index 91, rent £830/mo, income £30,000, QoL 65/100.
Edinburgh — cost index 110, rent £1,220/mo, income £37,000, QoL 65/100.
Aberdeen — cost index 98, rent £810/mo, income £35,800, QoL 65/100.
Sunderland scores 59/100 on the relevant index for young professionals — with rent of £660/month and cost index 83 (20 points below the national average of 103).
The North East region of average QoL score is 60/100. Sunderland leads with 59/100, 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.
Sunderland: cost index 83, rent £660/mo, income £28,400/yr, QoL 59/100. Swansea: cost index 87, rent £720/mo, income £29,500/yr, QoL 66/100.
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.