Aberdeen has the lowest property prices in the UK, whilst Middlesborough has the lowest rental prices. 

Card payment firm takepaymentsr analysed data – along 14 different measures of affordability – to award 34 UK cities an affordability score out of 10 to determine the most and least expensive places to live. The measures included rental and property buying prices, salary, the price of food and drink, council tax and more.

Official government data was analysed to determine regional property prices and rental prices and the study was able to determine the cheapest and most expensive places to rent and buy. 

Brighton and Bristol were found to be the most expensive cities, outside of London, and ranked amongst the most costly locations for factors including rent prices and house prices – as well as average yearly electricity bill and the cost of a monthly bus pass.

All three of the most affordable cities in the study are in the North East (Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Newcastle) and the research only reaffirms the clear North South divide in the UK when it comes to wealth distribution.

The research highlights that property and rent prices, in particular, are currently driving unaffordability in our cities. London (£51,6710), Brighton (£420,181) and Bristol (£347,689) rank 1st, 2nd, and 3rd for the highest property prices, mirroring their rankings as the most expensive cities in the study. 

The cheapest property prices were found in Aberdeen (£134,368) – with the Scottish city ranking 5th for affordability overall. 

Manchester and Leeds were the only northern cities to appear in the top ten most unaffordable cities in the study. Manchester ranked 7th out of 34 for rent prices (£1231.8 pcm on average) whilst Leeds came in at 12th (£1093.2 pcm). Leeds ranked 7th for property prices (£283,822) – with only South Eastern cities and Edinburgh boasting higher prices. Manchester ranked 12th for property prices (£245,015). 

On the other end of the scale, Northern Irish cities ranked high for affordability – especially for rent and buying costs. Belfast had the 5th cheapest property prices (£171,276) and Derry the 4th cheapest (£164,483). Derry also had the 4th cheapest rental prices (£704 pcm).

While affordability is high in Middlesbrough, Sunderland, and Newcastle, these cities also rank among the lowest for disposable income and wages. According to government data from the last quarter of 2024, the North East has an employment rate of 70.3%, which is below the national average of 75.0% and looking ahead, job creation is expected to favour London and Southern England. 

Between now and 2027, employment in the UK is forecast to grow 1.1% annually according to some predictions, but London (1.5%), the South East (1.3%), the South West (1.2%), and the East of England (1.2%) are the only regions expected to exceed this. All other areas are estimated to increase slower than the UK’s average, including the North East which has a predicted employment growth rate of 0.9%. 

The 10 most affordable locations to rent

1. Middlesbrough (£609.6 pcm) 
2. Sunderland (£623)
3. Bradford (£676.7) 
4. Derry (£704)
5. Swansea (£751.7) 
6. Derby (£759.5) 
7. Newport (£780.8)
8. Liverpool (£783)
9. Wolverhampton (£787.8)
10. Warrington (£790.5) 

The 10 most unaffordable locations to rent

1. London (£1932.5) 
2. Bristol (£1750.6) 
3. Brighton (£1739) 
4. Edinburgh (£1349.2)
5. Bournemouth (£1278.9) 
6. Portsmouth (£1274.6) 
7. Manchester (£1231.8) 
8. Glasgow (£1190.9) 
9. Southend (£1157.6) 
10. Southampton (£1145) 

The 10 most affordable locations to buy

1. Aberdeen (£134,368) 
2. Middlesbrough (£139,855)
3. Sunderland (£141,716)
4. Derry (£1644,483)
5. Belfast (£171,276)
6. Liverpool (£178,911)
7. Glasgow (£179,433
8. Bradford (£179,831)
9. Newcastle (£195,095)
10. Nottingham (£195,192) 

The 10 most unaffordable locations to buy

1. London (£516,710)
2. Brighton (£420,181)
3. Bristol (£347,689) 
4. Bournemouth (£329,207)
5. Southend (£327,191)
6. Edinburgh (£322,633)
7. Leeds (£283,822)
8. Luton (£270,239)
9. Cardiff (£267,438)
10. Warrington (£252,517)