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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Norwich air quality: AQI 22 — excellent. Green space 26%. Compared to East of England cities in 2026.
Norwich air quality: AQI 22 — excellent. Green space 26%. Compared to East of England cities in 2026.
Norwich: cost index 99 (-4 vs national avg 103), rent £920/month.
East of England region average cost index: 103. Norwich is -4 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 62/100 — safety 68, healthcare 70, walkability 65.
Safety score: 68/100 (crime rate 58.3/1k). National average: 61/100.
Most comparisons stop at rent. We didn't. Norwich has a cost index of 99 — 4 points below the United Kingdom national average of 103. Median income is £32,000 with rent at £920/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 35%. That's a strong position by any measure.
But here's the flip side: looking at East of England as a whole, the spread across all 27 cities is 43 points on the cost index. London sits at the other end with index 142 and rent of £2,000/mo. This combination is rare — and valuable.
On quality of life, Norwich scores a composite score of 62/100 — reflecting its safety (68), healthcare (70), and walkability (65) 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 | Norwich | 99 | £920 | £32,000 |
| 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 | York | 107 | £1,080 | £34,700 |
| 8 | Edinburgh | 110 | £1,220 | £37,000 |
| 9 | Cambridge | 129 | £1,450 | £41,000 |
| 10 | Oxford | 132 | £1,500 | £39,000 |
| 11 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 89 | £800 | £30,500 |
| 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 |
Norwich — cost index 99, rent £920/mo, income £32,000, QoL 62/100.
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.
Norwich has a cost index of 99 (national avg: 103), rent £920/mo, median income £32,000/yr, and a quality of life score of 62/100.
The East of England region of average QoL score is 60/100. Norwich leads with 62/100, 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.
Norwich: cost index 99, rent £920/mo, income £32,000/yr, QoL 62/100. 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.