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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Swansea digital nomad score: 61/100 — internet 50 Mbps, walk score 62/100, safety 62/100, rent £720/mo, nightlife 52/100. Full breakdown vs Wales peers.
Swansea digital nomad score: 61/100 — internet 50 Mbps, walk score 62/100, safety 62/100, rent £720/mo, nightlife 52/100. Full breakdown vs Wales peers.
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%. Over a five-year window, that difference is life-changing.
Here's where it gets complicated: looking at Wales as a whole, the spread across all 27 cities is 4 points on the cost index. Sunderland sits at the other end with index 83 and rent of £660/mo. That's a strong position by any measure.
On quality of life, Swansea scores a composite score of 66/100 — reflecting its safety (62), healthcare (65), and walkability (62) metrics. Context matters here. affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and United Kingdom is a good example of that tension.
For digital nomads specifically, Swansea earns a DN score of 61/100, powered by 50 Mbps internet, walkability of 62/100, and a nightlife score of 52/100. This combination is rare — and valuable.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income | DN Score | Internet (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swansea | 87 | £720 | £29,500 | 61 | 50 |
| 2 | Edinburgh | 110 | £1,220 | £37,000 | 70 | 68 |
| 3 | Cambridge | 129 | £1,450 | £41,000 | 69 | 85 |
| 4 | Manchester | 103 | £1,080 | £33,800 | 68 | 70 |
| 5 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 89 | £800 | £30,500 | 68 | 62 |
| 6 | Glasgow | 95 | £960 | £32,600 | 68 | 65 |
| 7 | Liverpool | 92 | £830 | £30,500 | 67 | 62 |
| 8 | Leeds | 96 | £950 | £31,600 | 67 | 65 |
| 9 | Bristol | 112 | £1,200 | £35,800 | 66 | 70 |
| 10 | Oxford | 132 | £1,500 | £39,000 | 65 | 75 |
| 11 | Birmingham | 97 | £950 | £32,200 | 65 | 65 |
| 12 | Nottingham | 94 | £880 | £31,000 | 65 | 62 |
| 13 | Sheffield | 91 | £830 | £30,000 | 65 | 60 |
| 14 | York | 107 | £1,080 | £34,700 | 65 | 58 |
| 15 | Cardiff | 96 | £940 | £32,600 | 65 | 58 |
| 16 | Belfast | 89 | £780 | £30,500 | 65 | 55 |
| 17 | Brighton | 122 | £1,350 | £37,000 | 64 | 68 |
| 18 | Aberdeen | 98 | £810 | £35,800 | 64 | 60 |
| 19 | Reading | 124 | £1,300 | £40,000 | 63 | 78 |
| 20 | London | 142 | £2,000 | £42,500 | 62 | 72 |
Swansea — cost index 87, rent £720/mo, income £29,500, QoL 66/100.
Edinburgh — cost index 110, rent £1,220/mo, income £37,000, QoL 65/100.
Cambridge — cost index 129, rent £1,450/mo, income £41,000, QoL 61/100.
Manchester — cost index 103, rent £1,080/mo, income £33,800, QoL 56/100.
Newcastle upon Tyne — cost index 89, rent £800/mo, income £30,500, QoL 63/100.
Swansea earns a digital nomad score of 61/100 — internet 50 Mbps, walk score 62/100, safety 62/100, rent £720/month.
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. Edinburgh: cost index 110, rent £1,220/mo, income £37,000/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.