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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Grocery prices in Sunderland: milk £1, bread £1, eggs £2/12. Compare grocery basket costs across North East cities.
Grocery prices in Sunderland: milk £1, bread £1, eggs £2/12. Compare grocery basket costs across North East cities.
Sunderland: cost index 83 (-20 vs national avg 103), rent £660/month.
North East region average cost index: 103. Sunderland is -20 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 59/100 — safety 54, healthcare 62, walkability 58.
Safety score: 54/100 (crime rate 92.1/1k). National average: 61/100.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunderland | 83 | £660 | £28,400 |
| 2 | Swansea | 87 | £720 | £29,500 |
| 3 | Belfast | 89 | £780 | £30,500 |
| 4 | Leicester | 93 | £860 | £30,000 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 92 | £830 | £30,500 |
| 6 | Sheffield | 91 | £830 | £30,000 |
| 7 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 89 | £800 | £30,500 |
| 8 | Coventry | 94 | £880 | £30,500 |
| 9 | Nottingham | 94 | £880 | £31,000 |
| 10 | Leeds | 96 | £950 | £31,600 |
| 11 | Cardiff | 96 | £940 | £32,600 |
| 12 | Glasgow | 95 | £960 | £32,600 |
| 13 | Plymouth | 97 | £870 | £31,000 |
| 14 | Birmingham | 97 | £950 | £32,200 |
| 15 | Manchester | 103 | £1,080 | £33,800 |
| 16 | Norwich | 99 | £920 | £32,000 |
| 17 | Exeter | 106 | £1,020 | £32,600 |
| 18 | Aberdeen | 98 | £810 | £35,800 |
| 19 | Southampton | 113 | £1,130 | £35,200 |
| 20 | Bristol | 112 | £1,200 | £35,800 |
The conventional wisdom says one thing. The data says another: Sunderland has a cost index of 83 — 20 points below the United Kingdom national average of 103. Median income is £28,400 with rent at £660/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 28%. Over a five-year window, that difference is life-changing.
Here's where it gets complicated: looking at North East as a whole, the spread across all 27 cities is 59 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, Sunderland scores a composite score of 59/100 — reflecting its safety (54), healthcare (62), and walkability (58) metrics. And here's the trade-off: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and United Kingdom is a good example of that tension.
Sunderland — cost index 83, rent £660/mo, income £28,400, QoL 59/100.
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.
Leicester — cost index 93, rent £860/mo, income £30,000, QoL 57/100.
Liverpool — cost index 92, rent £830/mo, income £30,500, QoL 57/100.
Sunderland has a cost index of 83 (national avg: 103), rent £660/mo, median income £28,400/yr, and a quality of life score of 59/100.
The North East region of average QoL score is 60/100. Sunderland leads with 59/100, 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.
Sunderland: cost index 83, rent £660/mo, income £28,400/yr, QoL 59/100. Swansea: cost index 87, rent £720/mo, income £29,500/yr, QoL 66/100.
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.