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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Swansea air quality: AQI 20 — excellent. Green space 35%. Compared to Wales cities in 2026.
Swansea air quality: AQI 20 — excellent. Green space 35%. Compared to Wales cities in 2026.
Swansea: cost index 87 (-16 vs national avg 103), rent £720/month.
Wales region average cost index: 103. Swansea is -16 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 66/100 — safety 62, healthcare 65, walkability 62.
Safety score: 62/100 (crime rate 72.8/1k). National average: 61/100.
The conventional wisdom says one thing. The data says another: Swansea has a cost index of 87 — 16 points below the United Kingdom national average of 103. Median income is £29,500 with rent at £720/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 29%. This combination is rare — and valuable.
Layer in taxes, though, and the math changes. looking at Wales as a whole, the spread across all 27 cities is 55 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, Swansea scores a composite score of 66/100 — reflecting its safety (62), healthcare (65), and walkability (62) metrics. And there's one more thing: 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 | Swansea | 87 | £720 | £29,500 |
| 2 | Aberdeen | 98 | £810 | £35,800 |
| 3 | Plymouth | 97 | £870 | £31,000 |
| 4 | Belfast | 89 | £780 | £30,500 |
| 5 | Exeter | 106 | £1,020 | £32,600 |
| 6 | Norwich | 99 | £920 | £32,000 |
| 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 |
Swansea — cost index 87, rent £720/mo, income £29,500, QoL 66/100.
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.
Belfast — cost index 89, rent £780/mo, income £30,500, QoL 62/100.
Exeter — cost index 106, rent £1,020/mo, income £32,600, QoL 64/100.
Swansea has a cost index of 87 (national avg: 103), rent £720/mo, median income £29,500/yr, and a quality of life score of 66/100.
The Wales region of average QoL score is 60/100. Swansea leads with 66/100, 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.
Swansea: cost index 87, rent £720/mo, income £29,500/yr, QoL 66/100. 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.