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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
London air quality: AQI 42 — good. Green space 33%. Compared to London cities in 2026.
London air quality: AQI 42 — good. Green space 33%. Compared to London cities in 2026.
London: cost index 142 (+39 vs national avg 103), rent £2,000/month.
London region average cost index: 103. London is +39 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 56/100 — safety 58, healthcare 82, walkability 89.
Safety score: 58/100 (crime rate 95.1/1k). National average: 61/100.
Most comparisons stop at rent. We didn't. London has a cost index of 142 — 39 points above the United Kingdom national average of 103. Median income is £42,500 with rent at £2,000/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 56%. That's a strong position by any measure.
Zooming out, looking at London as a whole, the spread across all 27 cities is 45 points on the cost index. Birmingham sits at the other end with index 97 and rent of £950/mo. That's a strong position by any measure.
On quality of life, London scores a composite score of 56/100 — reflecting its safety (58), healthcare (82), and walkability (89) 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.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | 142 | £2,000 | £42,500 |
| 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 |
London — cost index 142, rent £2,000/mo, income £42,500, QoL 56/100.
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.
London has a cost index of 142 (national avg: 103), rent £2,000/mo, median income £42,500/yr, and a quality of life score of 56/100.
The London region of average QoL score is 60/100. London leads with 56/100, 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.
London: cost index 142, rent £2,000/mo, income £42,500/yr, QoL 56/100. 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.