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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Leicester air quality: AQI 34 — good. Green space 17%. Compared to East Midlands cities in 2026.
Leicester air quality: AQI 34 — good. Green space 17%. Compared to East Midlands cities in 2026.
Leicester: cost index 93 (-10 vs national avg 103), rent £860/month.
East Midlands region average cost index: 103. Leicester is -10 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 57/100 — safety 55, healthcare 68, walkability 65.
Safety score: 55/100 (crime rate 90.2/1k). National average: 61/100.
The conventional wisdom says one thing. The data says another: Leicester has a cost index of 93 — 10 points below the United Kingdom national average of 103. Median income is £30,000 with rent at £860/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 34%. This is an advantage that compounds over time.
Zooming out, looking at East Midlands as a whole, the spread across all 27 cities is 49 points on the cost index. London sits at the other end with index 142 and rent of £2,000/mo. That's a strong position by any measure.
On quality of life, Leicester scores a composite score of 57/100 — reflecting its safety (55), healthcare (68), and walkability (65) metrics. Zooming out, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leicester | 93 | £860 | £30,000 |
| 2 | Aberdeen | 98 | £810 | £35,800 |
| 3 | Plymouth | 97 | £870 | £31,000 |
| 4 | Swansea | 87 | £720 | £29,500 |
| 5 | Belfast | 89 | £780 | £30,500 |
| 6 | Exeter | 106 | £1,020 | £32,600 |
| 7 | Norwich | 99 | £920 | £32,000 |
| 8 | York | 107 | £1,080 | £34,700 |
| 9 | Edinburgh | 110 | £1,220 | £37,000 |
| 10 | Cambridge | 129 | £1,450 | £41,000 |
| 11 | Oxford | 132 | £1,500 | £39,000 |
| 12 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 89 | £800 | £30,500 |
| 13 | Cardiff | 96 | £940 | £32,600 |
| 14 | Bristol | 112 | £1,200 | £35,800 |
| 15 | Brighton | 122 | £1,350 | £37,000 |
| 16 | Sheffield | 91 | £830 | £30,000 |
| 17 | Sunderland | 83 | £660 | £28,400 |
| 18 | Glasgow | 95 | £960 | £32,600 |
| 19 | Reading | 124 | £1,300 | £40,000 |
| 20 | Southampton | 113 | £1,130 | £35,200 |
Leicester — cost index 93, rent £860/mo, income £30,000, QoL 57/100.
Aberdeen — cost index 98, rent £810/mo, income £35,800, QoL 65/100.
Plymouth — cost index 97, rent £870/mo, income £31,000, QoL 63/100.
Swansea — cost index 87, rent £720/mo, income £29,500, QoL 66/100.
Belfast — cost index 89, rent £780/mo, income £30,500, QoL 62/100.
Leicester has a cost index of 93 (national avg: 103), rent £860/mo, median income £30,000/yr, and a quality of life score of 57/100.
The East Midlands region of 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: cost index 93, rent £860/mo, income £30,000/yr, QoL 57/100. Aberdeen: cost index 98, rent £810/mo, income £35,800/yr, QoL 65/100.
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.