Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Grocery prices in Liverpool: milk £1, bread £1, eggs £2/12. Compare grocery basket costs across North West cities.
Grocery prices in Liverpool: milk £1, bread £1, eggs £2/12. Compare grocery basket costs across North West cities.
Liverpool: cost index 92 (-11 vs national avg 103), rent £830/month.
North West region average cost index: 103. Liverpool is -11 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 57/100 — safety 52, healthcare 70, walkability 72.
Safety score: 52/100 (crime rate 98.7/1k). National average: 61/100.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 92 | £830 | £30,500 |
| 2 | Sunderland | 83 | £660 | £28,400 |
| 3 | Swansea | 87 | £720 | £29,500 |
| 4 | Belfast | 89 | £780 | £30,500 |
| 5 | Leicester | 93 | £860 | £30,000 |
| 6 | Sheffield | 91 | £830 | £30,000 |
| 7 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 89 | £800 | £30,500 |
| 8 | Coventry | 94 | £880 | £30,500 |
| 9 | Nottingham | 94 | £880 | £31,000 |
| 10 | Leeds | 96 | £950 | £31,600 |
| 11 | Cardiff | 96 | £940 | £32,600 |
| 12 | Glasgow | 95 | £960 | £32,600 |
| 13 | Plymouth | 97 | £870 | £31,000 |
| 14 | Birmingham | 97 | £950 | £32,200 |
| 15 | Manchester | 103 | £1,080 | £33,800 |
| 16 | Norwich | 99 | £920 | £32,000 |
| 17 | Exeter | 106 | £1,020 | £32,600 |
| 18 | Aberdeen | 98 | £810 | £35,800 |
| 19 | Southampton | 113 | £1,130 | £35,200 |
| 20 | Bristol | 112 | £1,200 | £35,800 |
Here's where the conversation shifts from 'affordable' to 'strategic': Liverpool has a cost index of 92 — 11 points below the United Kingdom national average of 103. Median income is £30,500 with rent at £830/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 33%. That's a strong position by any measure.
And here's the trade-off: looking at North West as a whole, the spread across all 27 cities is 50 points on the cost index. London sits at the other end with index 142 and rent of £2,000/mo. That's not a marginal difference — it reshapes your monthly budget.
On quality of life, Liverpool scores a composite score of 57/100 — reflecting its safety (52), healthcare (70), and walkability (72) metrics. And here's the trade-off: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and United Kingdom is a good example of that tension.
Liverpool — cost index 92, rent £830/mo, income £30,500, QoL 57/100.
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.
Belfast — cost index 89, rent £780/mo, income £30,500, QoL 62/100.
Leicester — cost index 93, rent £860/mo, income £30,000, QoL 57/100.
Liverpool has a cost index of 92 (national avg: 103), rent £830/mo, median income £30,500/yr, and a quality of life score of 57/100.
The North West region of average QoL score is 60/100. Liverpool 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.
Liverpool: cost index 92, rent £830/mo, income £30,500/yr, QoL 57/100. Sunderland: cost index 83, rent £660/mo, income £28,400/yr, QoL 59/100.
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.