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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in Northern Ireland for 2026. Belfast leads with a cost index of 85 and rent of £700/month.
Ranking of cities in Northern Ireland for 2026. Belfast leads with a cost index of 85 and rent of £700/month.
Belfast ranks #1 with a cost index of 85 and rent of £700/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 85 (-14 vs national average of 99).
Average quality of life: 63/100. Top: Belfast at 63/100.
Safest city: Belfast (60/100 safety score).
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income | Walk Score | Transit Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belfast | 85 | £700 | £29,000 | 72 | 52 |
Here's what the headline numbers don't tell you: Belfast stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 85 and median income of £29,000, it offers below-average costs relative to the rest of United Kingdom. This combination is rare — and valuable.
On quality of life, Belfast leads with a composite score of 63/100 — reflecting its safety (60), healthcare (68), and walkability (72) metrics. Pair that with the housing data, and the pattern sharpens. affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and United Kingdom is a good example of that tension.
Belfast ranks #1 in Northern Ireland for this analysis with a cost index of 85 and median income of £29,000.
The region average QoL score is 61/100. Belfast leads with 63/100, reflecting its 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.
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.