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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Newcastle upon Tyne air quality: AQI 26 — good. Green space 22%. Compared to North East cities in 2026.
Newcastle upon Tyne air quality: AQI 26 — good. Green space 22%. Compared to North East cities in 2026.
Newcastle upon Tyne: cost index 89 (-14 vs national avg 103), rent £800/month.
North East region average cost index: 103. Newcastle upon Tyne is -14 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 63/100 — safety 56, healthcare 72, walkability 74.
Safety score: 56/100 (crime rate 88.9/1k). National average: 61/100.
Here's what the headline numbers don't tell you: Newcastle upon Tyne has a cost index of 89 — 14 points below the United Kingdom national average of 103. Median income is £30,500 with rent at £800/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 31%. Financially, that's significant.
And here's the trade-off: looking at North East as a whole, the spread across all 27 cities is 53 points on the cost index. London sits at the other end with index 142 and rent of £2,000/mo. That's a strong position by any measure.
On quality of life, Newcastle upon Tyne scores a composite score of 63/100 — reflecting its safety (56), healthcare (72), and walkability (74) metrics. Layer in taxes, though, and the math changes. 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 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 89 | £800 | £30,500 |
| 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 | Cardiff | 96 | £940 | £32,600 |
| 13 | Bristol | 112 | £1,200 | £35,800 |
| 14 | Brighton | 122 | £1,350 | £37,000 |
| 15 | Sheffield | 91 | £830 | £30,000 |
| 16 | Sunderland | 83 | £660 | £28,400 |
| 17 | Glasgow | 95 | £960 | £32,600 |
| 18 | Reading | 124 | £1,300 | £40,000 |
| 19 | Southampton | 113 | £1,130 | £35,200 |
| 20 | Leeds | 96 | £950 | £31,600 |
Newcastle upon Tyne — cost index 89, rent £800/mo, income £30,500, QoL 63/100.
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.
Newcastle upon Tyne has a cost index of 89 (national avg: 103), rent £800/mo, median income £30,500/yr, and a quality of life score of 63/100.
The North East region of average QoL score is 60/100. Newcastle upon Tyne leads with 63/100, 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.
Newcastle upon Tyne: cost index 89, rent £800/mo, income £30,500/yr, QoL 63/100. 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.