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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Cost of living in Leeds, United Kingdom (2026): cost index 96 (-7 vs national avg), rent £950/mo, median income £31,600/yr. Rent takes 36% of gross income. Full breakdown vs Yorkshire peers below.
Cost of living in Leeds, United Kingdom (2026): cost index 96 (-7 vs national avg), rent £950/mo, median income £31,600/yr. Rent takes 36% of gross income. Full breakdown vs Yorkshire peers below.
Leeds: cost index 96 (-7 vs national avg 103), rent £950/month.
Yorkshire region average cost index: 98. Leeds is -2 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 59/100 — safety 58, healthcare 72, walkability 70.
Safety score: 58/100 (crime rate 85.4/1k). National average: 61/100.
Most comparisons stop at rent. We didn't. Leeds has a cost index of 96 — 7 points below the United Kingdom national average of 103. Median income is £31,600 with rent at £950/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 36%. That's a strong position by any measure.
On quality of life, Leeds scores a composite score of 59/100 — reflecting its safety (58), healthcare (72), and walkability (70) metrics. Here's where it gets complicated: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and United Kingdom is a good example of that tension.
Leeds — cost index 96, rent £950/mo, income £31,600, QoL 59/100.
Sheffield — cost index 91, rent £830/mo, income £30,000, QoL 65/100.
York — cost index 107, rent £1,080/mo, income £34,700, QoL 64/100.
Leeds has a cost index of 96 (national avg: 103). Median rent is £950/month, median income £31,600/year, giving a rent-to-income ratio of 36%.
The Yorkshire region of average QoL score is 63/100. Leeds 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.
Leeds: cost index 96, rent £950/mo, income £31,600/yr, QoL 59/100. Sheffield: cost index 91, rent £830/mo, income £30,000/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.