UK Cost of Living by City 2026/27
Cost of living in 40 UK cities for 2026/27. Typical 2-bed rent, Council Tax Band D, median pay - from ONS rent data + ASHE.
Typical rent, council tax and median pay across 40 UK cities — sourced from the ONS Price Index of Private Rents, official council tax data, and the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ONS, and NISRA for Belfast). Ordered from cheapest 2-bed rent upwards.
Browse 40 UK cities
| City | Country | 2-bed rent/mo | Council Tax Band D | Median annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | England | £625 | £2,295 | £36,036 |
| Stoke-on-Trent | England | £650 | £2,183 | £36,244 |
| Sunderland | England | £650 | £2,197 | £33,384 |
| Middlesbrough | England | £650 | £2,549 | £35,152 |
| Bradford | England | £675 | £2,361 | £35,776 |
| Dundee | Scotland | £750 | £1,730 | £36,920 |
| Derby | England | £775 | £2,306 | £41,340 |
| Aberdeen | Scotland | £775 | £1,748 | £43,368 |
| Swansea | Wales | £775 | £2,238 | £36,920 |
| Liverpool | England | £825 | £2,674 | £38,324 |
| Sheffield | England | £825 | £2,510 | £37,544 |
| Wolverhampton | England | £825 | £2,539 | £37,284 |
| Newport | Wales | £850 | £2,088 | £38,480 |
| Plymouth | England | £875 | £2,442 | £37,024 |
| Nottingham | England | £900 | £2,755 | £34,996 |
| Leicester | England | £900 | £2,529 | £35,360 |
| Coventry | England | £900 | £2,517 | £42,692 |
| Belfast | Northern Ireland | £950 | Rates * | £39,884 |
| Northampton | England | £950 | £2,487 | £37,908 |
| Leeds | England | £975 | £2,284 | £38,532 |
| Norwich | England | £975 | £2,503 | £36,296 |
| Birmingham | England | £1,000 | £2,363 | £39,572 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | England | £1,000 | £2,542 | £37,232 |
| Cardiff | Wales | £1,075 | £2,013 | £38,272 |
| York | England | £1,075 | £2,287 | £39,832 |
| Glasgow | Scotland | £1,100 | £1,706 | £41,444 |
| Southampton | England | £1,100 | £2,381 | £40,664 |
| Luton | England | £1,100 | £2,440 | £39,416 |
| Portsmouth | England | £1,125 | £2,292 | £39,728 |
| Exeter | England | £1,125 | £2,495 | £35,568 |
| Bournemouth | England | £1,175 | £2,436 | £37,804 |
| Milton Keynes | England | £1,200 | £2,372 | £41,548 |
| Manchester | England | £1,225 | £2,312 | £41,340 |
| Edinburgh | Scotland | £1,325 | £1,626 | £43,316 |
| Reading | England | £1,400 | £2,613 | £49,608 |
| Brighton and Hove | England | £1,525 | £2,581 | £39,260 |
| Bristol | England | £1,550 | £2,714 | £43,576 |
| Cambridge | England | £1,625 | £2,467 | £45,552 |
| Oxford | England | £1,650 | £2,678 | £43,004 |
| London | England | £2,200 | £2,068 | £49,816 |
* Northern Ireland uses the Rates system instead of Council Tax — see Belfast for details.
How we compile these numbers
Rent figures come from the ONS Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), using the average monthly rent for a 2-bedroom property in each city's local-authority area (Scotland is published by broad rental market area, so Edinburgh uses Lothian and Glasgow uses Greater Glasgow), rounded to the nearest £25. Council Tax Band D figures are the published 2026/27 levels: MHCLG for England and gov.wales for Wales, both including precepts; gov.scot for Scotland, the council charge only, with Scottish Water charges billed on top. Northern Ireland has domestic Rates instead. Median weekly pay is the full-time workplace median from ASHE 2025 Table 7 (ONS; NISRA for Belfast), multiplied by 52.
Important caveat. Cost of living within a city varies materially by postcode, and a city-wide average rent hides that spread. These figures are useful for comparing cities, not for budgeting — for an actual property check local listings.
Related tools
- Salary calculator — your exact take-home vs any gross.
- Salary vs inflation — how your salary tracks the UK CPI.
- UK salary by profession — typical pay for 159 UK professions.
- UK inflation calculator — adjust any amount between any two years.