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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Sunderland quality of life score: 59/100 (United Kingdom avg: 60/100). Combines safety (54), healthcare (62), walkability (58), air quality (AQI 28) and green space (18%). Compared to North East peers in 2026.
Sunderland quality of life score: 59/100 (United Kingdom avg: 60/100). Combines safety (54), healthcare (62), walkability (58), air quality (AQI 28) and green space (18%). Compared to North East peers in 2026.
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.
Here's what the headline numbers don't tell you: 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%. That gap is hard to ignore.
Pair that with the housing data, and the pattern sharpens. looking at North East as a whole, the spread across all 27 cities is 20 points on the cost index. Manchester sits at the other end with index 103 and rent of £1,080/mo. That's a strong position by any measure.
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.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income | QoL | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunderland | 83 | £660 | £28,400 | 59 | 54 |
| 2 | Swansea | 87 | £720 | £29,500 | 66 | 62 |
| 3 | Sheffield | 91 | £830 | £30,000 | 65 | 60 |
| 4 | Edinburgh | 110 | £1,220 | £37,000 | 65 | 72 |
| 5 | Aberdeen | 98 | £810 | £35,800 | 65 | 70 |
| 6 | Exeter | 106 | £1,020 | £32,600 | 64 | 72 |
| 7 | York | 107 | £1,080 | £34,700 | 64 | 76 |
| 8 | Plymouth | 97 | £870 | £31,000 | 63 | 65 |
| 9 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 89 | £800 | £30,500 | 63 | 56 |
| 10 | Norwich | 99 | £920 | £32,000 | 62 | 68 |
| 11 | Cardiff | 96 | £940 | £32,600 | 62 | 62 |
| 12 | Belfast | 89 | £780 | £30,500 | 62 | 60 |
| 13 | Bristol | 112 | £1,200 | £35,800 | 61 | 63 |
| 14 | Cambridge | 129 | £1,450 | £41,000 | 61 | 74 |
| 15 | Glasgow | 95 | £960 | £32,600 | 60 | 52 |
| 16 | Nottingham | 94 | £880 | £31,000 | 59 | 54 |
| 17 | Leeds | 96 | £950 | £31,600 | 59 | 58 |
| 18 | Oxford | 132 | £1,500 | £39,000 | 58 | 70 |
| 19 | Brighton | 122 | £1,350 | £37,000 | 57 | 62 |
| 20 | Leicester | 93 | £860 | £30,000 | 57 | 55 |
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.
Sheffield — cost index 91, rent £830/mo, income £30,000, QoL 65/100.
Edinburgh — cost index 110, rent £1,220/mo, income £37,000, QoL 65/100.
Aberdeen — cost index 98, rent £810/mo, income £35,800, QoL 65/100.
Sunderland has a composite quality of life score of 59/100, covering safety (54), healthcare (62), walkability (58), air quality, and green space. United Kingdom average QoL: 60/100.
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.