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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in United Kingdom for 2026. Belfast leads with a cost index of 89 and rent of £780/month.
Ranking of cities in United Kingdom for 2026. Belfast leads with a cost index of 89 and rent of £780/month.
Belfast: cost index 89 (-14 vs national avg 103), rent £780/month.
Northern Ireland region average cost index: 93. Belfast is -4 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 62/100 — safety 60, healthcare 68, walkability 72.
Safety score: 60/100 (crime rate 75.8/1k). National average: 61/100.
Here's where the conversation shifts from 'affordable' to 'strategic': Belfast has a cost index of 89 — 14 points below the United Kingdom national average of 103. Median income is £30,500 with rent at £780/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 31%. That gap is hard to ignore.
On quality of life, Belfast scores a composite score of 62/100 — reflecting its safety (60), healthcare (68), and walkability (72) 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.
Belfast — cost index 89, rent £780/mo, income £30,500, QoL 62/100.
Leeds — cost index 96, rent £950/mo, income £31,600, QoL 59/100.
Belfast has a cost index of 89 (national avg: 103), rent £780/mo, median income £30,500/yr, and a quality of life score of 62/100.
The Northern Ireland region of average QoL score is 61/100. Belfast 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.
Belfast: cost index 89, rent £780/mo, income £30,500/yr, QoL 62/100. Leeds: cost index 96, rent £950/mo, income £31,600/yr, QoL 59/100.
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.