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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Swansea quality of life score: 66/100 (United Kingdom avg: 60/100). Combines safety (62), healthcare (65), walkability (62), air quality (AQI 20) and green space (35%). Compared to Wales peers in 2026.
Swansea quality of life score: 66/100 (United Kingdom avg: 60/100). Combines safety (62), healthcare (65), walkability (62), air quality (AQI 20) and green space (35%). Compared to Wales peers 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.
Strip away assumptions, and something unexpected emerges. 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%. For anyone running the numbers, this is where it clicks.
Layer in taxes, though, and the math changes. looking at Wales as a whole, the spread across all 27 cities is 16 points on the cost index. Manchester sits at the other end with index 103 and rent of £1,080/mo. Financially, that's significant.
On quality of life, Swansea scores a composite score of 66/100 — reflecting its safety (62), healthcare (65), and walkability (62) metrics. Zooming out, 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 | Sheffield | 91 | £830 | £30,000 |
| 3 | Edinburgh | 110 | £1,220 | £37,000 |
| 4 | Aberdeen | 98 | £810 | £35,800 |
| 5 | Exeter | 106 | £1,020 | £32,600 |
| 6 | York | 107 | £1,080 | £34,700 |
| 7 | Plymouth | 97 | £870 | £31,000 |
| 8 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 89 | £800 | £30,500 |
| 9 | Norwich | 99 | £920 | £32,000 |
| 10 | Cardiff | 96 | £940 | £32,600 |
| 11 | Belfast | 89 | £780 | £30,500 |
| 12 | Bristol | 112 | £1,200 | £35,800 |
| 13 | Cambridge | 129 | £1,450 | £41,000 |
| 14 | Glasgow | 95 | £960 | £32,600 |
| 15 | Nottingham | 94 | £880 | £31,000 |
| 16 | Leeds | 96 | £950 | £31,600 |
| 17 | Sunderland | 83 | £660 | £28,400 |
| 18 | Oxford | 132 | £1,500 | £39,000 |
| 19 | Brighton | 122 | £1,350 | £37,000 |
| 20 | Leicester | 93 | £860 | £30,000 |
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.
Exeter — cost index 106, rent £1,020/mo, income £32,600, QoL 64/100.
Swansea has a composite quality of life score of 66/100, covering safety (62), healthcare (65), walkability (62), air quality, and green space. United Kingdom average QoL: 60/100.
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. Sheffield: cost index 91, rent £830/mo, income £30,000/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.