UK Cost of Living by City
Compare estimated monthly living costs across major UK cities, and see what salary you’d need to maintain your lifestyle if you moved.
Compare Cities or Find Your Equivalent Salary
Choose a mode below: compare estimated monthly costs between two UK cities side by side, or work out the salary you’d need elsewhere to keep the same standard of living.
City Cost Estimator
See how far your money goes in different UK cities.
How it Works
Understanding UK cost of living by city
Pick a Mode
Choose “Compare Cities” to see a side-by-side cost breakdown, or “Salary Equivalent” to find what you’d need to earn elsewhere.
Select Your Cities
Pick two cities from the list, or your current city and salary for the equivalent-pay calculation.
Review the Breakdown
See estimated monthly rent, groceries, transport and bills side by side, or your equivalent required salary.
Research Further
Use these figures as a starting point, then check current local listings for the areas you’re considering.
UK City Cost Index & Averages
Indicative monthly figures for a single person, with the UK national average set to a cost of living index of 100.
| City | Cost of Living Index | Avg. 1-Bed Rent (City Centre) | Est. Monthly Costs (Excl. Rent) |
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Cost of Living FAQ
Answers to the most frequently asked questions about comparing living costs across UK cities.
A cost of living index scores locations relative to a baseline, commonly set at 100 for the UK national average. A city with an index of 130 is roughly 30% more expensive than the national average, while an index of 85 is roughly 15% cheaper.
London is consistently the most expensive UK city to live in, driven mainly by significantly higher rents than anywhere else in the country. Oxford, Cambridge and Brighton also tend to rank highly due to strong housing demand, while cities in the North of England, Wales and Northern Ireland are generally more affordable.
Divide your current city’s cost of living index by your target city’s index, then multiply this by your current salary. This gives a rough equivalent salary needed to maintain a similar standard of living, though it doesn’t account for differences in income tax, council tax or personal circumstances.
No. The figures shown are indicative estimates intended to give a general sense of relative living costs, not live or official statistics. Actual costs vary by neighbourhood, lifestyle and time of year, so use these figures as a starting point for further research.