Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Swansea safety score: 62/100 (crime rate 72.8/1k) — above the United Kingdom average of 61/100. Here's how Swansea compares to cities in Wales and what the data means for everyday life.
Swansea safety score: 62/100 (crime rate 72.8/1k) — above the United Kingdom average of 61/100. Here's how Swansea compares to cities in Wales and what the data means for everyday life.
Swansea: cost index 87 (-16 vs national avg 103), rent £720/month.
Wales region average cost index: 103. Swansea is -16 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 66/100 — safety 62, healthcare 65, walkability 62.
Safety score: 62/100 (crime rate 72.8/1k). National average: 61/100.
Here's where the conversation shifts from 'affordable' to 'strategic': Swansea has a cost index of 87 — 16 points below the United Kingdom national average of 103. Median income is £29,500 with rent at £720/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 29%. That gap is hard to ignore.
And here's the trade-off: looking at Wales as a whole, the spread across all 27 cities is 16 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, Swansea scores a composite score of 66/100 — reflecting its safety (62), healthcare (65), and walkability (62) metrics. Pair that with the housing data, and the pattern sharpens. 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 | Swansea | 87 | £720 | £29,500 | 66 | 62 |
| 2 | York | 107 | £1,080 | £34,700 | 64 | 76 |
| 3 | Cambridge | 129 | £1,450 | £41,000 | 61 | 74 |
| 4 | Exeter | 106 | £1,020 | £32,600 | 64 | 72 |
| 5 | Edinburgh | 110 | £1,220 | £37,000 | 65 | 72 |
| 6 | Oxford | 132 | £1,500 | £39,000 | 58 | 70 |
| 7 | Aberdeen | 98 | £810 | £35,800 | 65 | 70 |
| 8 | Norwich | 99 | £920 | £32,000 | 62 | 68 |
| 9 | Reading | 124 | £1,300 | £40,000 | 56 | 65 |
| 10 | Plymouth | 97 | £870 | £31,000 | 63 | 65 |
| 11 | Bristol | 112 | £1,200 | £35,800 | 61 | 63 |
| 12 | Brighton | 122 | £1,350 | £37,000 | 57 | 62 |
| 13 | Cardiff | 96 | £940 | £32,600 | 62 | 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 |
Swansea — cost index 87, rent £720/mo, income £29,500, QoL 66/100.
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.
Swansea has a safety score of 62/100 and a crime rate of 72.8/1,000 residents. The United Kingdom average safety score is 61/100.
The Wales region of average QoL score is 60/100. Swansea leads with 66/100, 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.
Swansea: cost index 87, rent £720/mo, income £29,500/yr, QoL 66/100. 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.