The cost-of-living crisis hit the United Kingdom hard. Britain's consumer prices increased by 20.8% across three years between May 2021 and May 2024, meaning Brits are paying more than ever for essentials like food and electricity. In fact, 56% of Brits have admitted to being affected by rising costs, with 40% stating they have had to make cuts to their spending.
In response, Investing Insiders, one of the UK's leading investment platforms, has crunched the numbers to uncover the most affordable areas in the UK – and the most expensive.
Click or scroll on – the results might surprise you...
To identify the top 10 cheapest and most expensive places to live in the UK, Investing Insiders carried out a nationwide study, comparing wages in the local area to regional house price data, before arriving at a final cost of living score for each.
Each place was rated out of 100, with zero being the most expensive and 100 being the least costly. The findings highlight just how drastically housing affordability varies across the UK.
Read on to find out if your area made one of the top 10s...
The port city of Sunderland, in the north east of England, was named the 10th-most affordable place to live in the UK. In the city, the median weekly salary is £552.80, while the average home costs just £139,922. Thanks to this, Investing Insiders gave the city a cost of living score of 95.
As well as being a highly affordable place to reside, the city also has a fascinating history. For starters, Washington Old Hall, a historic manor house in the city, was the ancestral home of the family of George Washington, the first president of the United States.
In at number nine is Stoke-on-Trent, one of the largest cities in the Midlands. Known for its pottery industry, the city is nicknamed the 'World Capital of Ceramics' and has produced some of the planet's most famous pottery brands, including Wedgwood and Royal Doulton.
Here, locals earn, on average, £570.40 a week, while the average house costs a mere £144,171. As a result, Investing Insiders gave the city a cost of living score of 96.
As beautiful as it is affordable, County Durham in the north east of England, was named the eighth-cheapest place to live in the UK, with a cost of living score of 97. Here, a home will set you back £138,905, while weekly salaries tend to lie around £539. Rent is also reasonable, averaging £597 per month, almost 20% less than the national average.
The county is home to the city of Durham, which boasts one of the UK's most mesmerising religious buildings, Durham Cathedral. The city has played starring roles in endless TV shows and movies, too, including Downton Abbey, Avengers: Endgame and, most famously, Harry Potter.
Over in the Lancashire district of Hyndburn, you can expect to earn a weekly salary of £530.70 and purchase a house for just £131,766. Rent here is also cheap, costing a mere £613 a month.
That's why Investing Insiders gave the area a cost of living score of 97. Not just affordable, Hyndburn is home to one of the UK's most prized cultural hubs, Haworth Art Gallery, which holds the largest collection of Tiffany glass in Europe.
In at number six is Blaenau Gwent, which was given a cost of living score of 97. This county borough in south-east Wales is overflowing with deep valleys and plateau uplands, so it's incredibly scenic.
It was traditionally a coalmining and steel-working region, but today, the area is quiet and leafy. Here, locals can earn £553.60 on average a week and purchase a property for just £139,176.
The county borough of Neath Port Talbot, in south-west Wales, was named the fifth-most affordable place to live in the UK. It gained a cost of living score of 97, thanks to median house prices of £161,605 and average weekly salaries of £601.90.
The county borough is known for its combination of industrial heritage and beautiful natural landscapes, making it both an affordable and idyllic place to live.
Cumberland lies at the very top of England and is bordered by Northumberland to the northeast, County Durham to the east, Lancashire to the south, and the Scottish counties of Dumfriesshire and Roxburghshire to the north. The area includes parts of the Lake District and the Solway Firth coastline, so it's safe to say the region is exceptionally beautiful.
With a cost of living score of 97, the area was named the fourth cheapest place to live in the UK, with weekly salaries averaging £612.30, compared to £165,099 for the average home.
In third place is the seaside and port town of Hartlepool in County Durham. With spectacular scenery, lovely beaches, and an award-winning marina, the town is made even more sought-after thanks to its affordability.
The town scored 98 on the cost of living index and benefits from weekly local salaries of £523.20 and mean monthly rents of just £546, 25% less than most Britons' rent-to-pay average. The average home here costs just £136,148.
Now, can you guess which two places took the top spots?
Narrowly missing out on the top spot, Kingston-upon-Hull, or Hull as it is commonly known, can be found in East Yorkshire, where the River Hull meets the Humber Estuary. The port city is home to a popular aquarium, a Museums Quarter, and Wilberforce House, the birthplace of William Wilberforce, a leader of the slave abolition movement.
The city scored a perfect 100 on the cost of living index, since locals benefit from weekly salaries of around £575.50, with the average home coming in at just £131,374. So, let's find out which town was named the most affordable place to live in the UK...
That's right, Burnley in Lancashire is officially the cheapest place to live in the UK. It also scored a perfect 100 on the cost of living index, and despite providing locals with slightly less weekly income, averaging £530.10, homes here are incredibly affordable. In fact, the average property will set you back a mere £120,719, with monthly rents of £599.
The town lies in a natural, three-forked valley at the confluence of the River Brun and the River Calder. Surrounded by moorlands and hills, it is a scenic and highly affordable place to call home.
Now, let's take a look at the 10 most expensive places to live in the UK...
Hackney is one of London's most eclectic and exciting neighbourhoods. Located in the northeast of the city, the district is home to independent stores, fantastic eateries, green parks, and hip bars, not to mention one of the city's best foodie hot spots, Broadway Market.
So it probably won't come as a surprise that the neighbourhood is far from cheap. In fact, it scored just 33 on the cost of living index, with a weekly income of £791 and the average house price sitting at £590,096. Rent here is also extortionate, at £2,539 a month.
The ninth-most expensive place to live in Britain is also in London. Haringey is another very sought-after area and is home to some of the city's most popular neighbourhoods, including Crouch End, Highgate, and Muswell Hill.
So, it makes sense that the borough is pricey. It gained a cost of living score of 31, thanks to weekly earnings of £551 and an average house price of £636,368. Renters can expect to pay a cool £2,163 a month to live here, too.
Moving out of London, although only slightly, Elmbridge in Surrey was named the eighth-most expensive place to live in the UK. Elmbridge is a local government district but has borough status in Surrey, and can be found on the very edge of south-west London.
The perfect commuter locale, the neighbourhood is highly popular with house-hunters, but that doesn't mean they get much bang for their buck. The area scored 31 on the cost of living index. Here, people earn, on average, £691 a week, but have to fork out £758,387 for a house. Rent here also stands at £1,878 per month.
From the independent shops and cafés of Angel to the green spaces and cosy pubs of Highbury, Islington is one of London's most sought-after neighbourhoods, and for good reason.
So it makes sense that the borough is an expensive place to live. It was given a score of 30 on the cost of living index, with people here earning £857 a week on average. As for property prices, you can expect to pay £675,127 to buy, or a cool £2,704 a month to rent.
The London Borough of Wandsworth sits in south-west London and spans a wide area, encompassing some of the city's most popular neighbourhoods, such as Battersea and Putney. The borough has the lowest council tax in the entire country, but that's where the affordability stops. In fact, Wandsworth was named the sixth-most expensive place in the UK.
It received a cost of living score of 29, with weekly earnings coming in at £690, compared to £697,731 for the average house. Renters here have to cough up an eye-watering £2,497 a month on average, too.
With a bustling high street, gorgeous river walks, and the 2,500-acre Richmond Park, the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames has endless perks to offer. This is likely why it has previously been named the happiest place to live in the UK, by Rightmove’s Happy at Home Index.
It's also probably why the borough is the fifth-most expensive place in Britain, with an index score of just 27. Here, the average house will set you back £790,042, while you can expect to earn £652 per week. Rent is also sky-high, at £2,184 per month.
The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham is the fourth-most expensive place to live in the UK, with a cost of living score of 26. Here, people earn, on average, £769 a week, while the median house is priced at £752,104.
Renters don't fare any better and can expect to pay £2,749 per month. It's no wonder when you consider the borough offers walks along the scenic Thames Path, fantastic street food markets, and riverside pubs.
In at number three is Camden. This ultra-popular area of London sees thousands flocking to its quirky lock-side market, Regent's Park, and London Zoo. So it won't surprise anyone that Camden is a very expensive place to call home.
With a cost of living score of 26, the average house here costs £781,376, while the median monthly rent is £2,836. In comparison, those living in Camden tend to earn £850 per week.
Can you guess which two places are the second and most expensive spots to live in the UK?
Steeped in history, Westminster is perhaps London’s most famous neighbourhood, thanks to iconic landmarks like Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the Houses of Parliament. Unsurprisingly, Westminster is the second-most expensive area to live in the UK, scoring 18 on the cost of living index.
The median pay here is £877.30 per week, but average house prices in the area stand at £947,000, which is over three times the national average of £270,000, as of July 2025. The study also revealed that the average rent in the UK is 47% of monthly pay, but in Westminster, that figure is 130%, with rent coming in at £3,258 per month.
Even more expensive than Westminster is the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Home to Harrods, Kensington Palace, and the Natural History Museum, this elegant suburb of London is reserved for the super-rich.
In fact, it scored a perfect zero on the cost of living index. That's because the average house price here totals £1.3 million – five times the UK average! The average private rent in Kensington and Chelsea is £3,663, while the median weekly salary stands at a disproportionate £703.70.
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