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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Cost of living in Brighton, United Kingdom (2026): cost index 122 (+19 vs national avg), rent £1,350/mo, median income £37,000/yr. Rent takes 44% of gross income. Full breakdown vs South East peers below.
Cost of living in Brighton, United Kingdom (2026): cost index 122 (+19 vs national avg), rent £1,350/mo, median income £37,000/yr. Rent takes 44% of gross income. Full breakdown vs South East peers below.
Brighton: cost index 122 (+19 vs national avg 103), rent £1,350/month.
South East region average cost index: 123. Brighton is -1 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 57/100 — safety 62, healthcare 76, walkability 78.
Safety score: 62/100 (crime rate 72.4/1k). National average: 61/100.
Strip away assumptions, and something unexpected emerges. Brighton has a cost index of 122 — 19 points above the United Kingdom national average of 103. Median income is £37,000 with rent at £1,350/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 44%. This combination is rare — and valuable.
Layer in taxes, though, and the math changes. looking at South East as a whole, the spread across all 4 cities is 10 points on the cost index. Oxford sits at the other end with index 132 and rent of £1,500/mo. This combination is rare — and valuable.
On quality of life, Brighton scores a composite score of 57/100 — reflecting its safety (62), healthcare (76), and walkability (78) metrics. But here's the flip side: 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 | Brighton | 122 | £1,350 | £37,000 |
| 2 | Southampton | 113 | £1,130 | £35,200 |
| 3 | Reading | 124 | £1,300 | £40,000 |
| 4 | Oxford | 132 | £1,500 | £39,000 |
Brighton — cost index 122, rent £1,350/mo, income £37,000, QoL 57/100.
Southampton — cost index 113, rent £1,130/mo, income £35,200, QoL 56/100.
Reading — cost index 124, rent £1,300/mo, income £40,000, QoL 56/100.
Oxford — cost index 132, rent £1,500/mo, income £39,000, QoL 58/100.
Brighton has a cost index of 122 (national avg: 103). Median rent is £1,350/month, median income £37,000/year, giving a rent-to-income ratio of 44%.
The South East region of average QoL score is 57/100. Brighton leads with 57/100, 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.
Brighton: cost index 122, rent £1,350/mo, income £37,000/yr, QoL 57/100. Southampton: cost index 113, rent £1,130/mo, income £35,200/yr, QoL 56/100.
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.