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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
London walkability score: 89/100, transit score 92/100, average commute 41 min. How walkable is London vs other London cities?
London walkability score: 89/100, transit score 92/100, average commute 41 min. How walkable is London vs other London cities?
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.
Here's the surprising part: 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%. Financially, that's significant.
Pair that with the housing data, and the pattern sharpens. looking at London as a whole, the spread across all 27 cities is 59 points on the cost index. Sunderland sits at the other end with index 83 and rent of £660/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. 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 | Walk Score | Transit Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | 142 | £2,000 | £42,500 | 89 | 92 |
| 2 | Oxford | 132 | £1,500 | £39,000 | 85 | 52 |
| 3 | Edinburgh | 110 | £1,220 | £37,000 | 84 | 65 |
| 4 | Cambridge | 129 | £1,450 | £41,000 | 82 | 45 |
| 5 | York | 107 | £1,080 | £34,700 | 80 | 42 |
| 6 | Brighton | 122 | £1,350 | £37,000 | 78 | 55 |
| 7 | Manchester | 103 | £1,080 | £33,800 | 78 | 72 |
| 8 | Glasgow | 95 | £960 | £32,600 | 78 | 68 |
| 9 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 89 | £800 | £30,500 | 74 | 62 |
| 10 | Bristol | 112 | £1,200 | £35,800 | 72 | 55 |
| 11 | Nottingham | 94 | £880 | £31,000 | 72 | 58 |
| 12 | Liverpool | 92 | £830 | £30,500 | 72 | 58 |
| 13 | Cardiff | 96 | £940 | £32,600 | 72 | 48 |
| 14 | Belfast | 89 | £780 | £30,500 | 72 | 52 |
| 15 | Exeter | 106 | £1,020 | £32,600 | 70 | 38 |
| 16 | Leeds | 96 | £950 | £31,600 | 70 | 55 |
| 17 | Reading | 124 | £1,300 | £40,000 | 68 | 60 |
| 18 | Birmingham | 97 | £950 | £32,200 | 68 | 62 |
| 19 | Aberdeen | 98 | £810 | £35,800 | 68 | 45 |
| 20 | Southampton | 113 | £1,130 | £35,200 | 65 | 48 |
London — cost index 142, rent £2,000/mo, income £42,500, QoL 56/100.
Oxford — cost index 132, rent £1,500/mo, income £39,000, QoL 58/100.
Edinburgh — cost index 110, rent £1,220/mo, income £37,000, QoL 65/100.
Cambridge — cost index 129, rent £1,450/mo, income £41,000, QoL 61/100.
York — cost index 107, rent £1,080/mo, income £34,700, QoL 64/100.
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. Oxford: cost index 132, rent £1,500/mo, income £39,000/yr, QoL 58/100.
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.