The UK's 15 most expensive cities to live outside London

London is the most expensive place to buy a home in the UK by a sizable margin, with the average property in the capital costing around £533,800, according to Zoopla’s House Price Index, released in February. Cities in the south-east continue to dominate the rankings, with historic university centres of Cambridge (£470,500) and Oxford (£447,600) coming top after London. At the other end of the scale are two Scottish cities, Glasgow (£152,300) and Aberdeen (£138,400), well below the UK average of £268,000 as of ONS figures from December 2024.

But things may slowly be changing, as house price inflation "continues to follow a north-south divide", said Zoopla. In the past year to January, average prices have risen 7.2% higher in Northern Ireland and 3% in the north-west. By comparison, house prices across London and southern England only rose between 1% and 1.2% over the course of 2024.

"Prices are rising fastest in areas offering great value," Jonathan Hopper, chief executive of Garrington Property Finders, told This is Money. "In part, this is due to price-conscious buyers broadening their search to include areas where they will get the most bang for their buck."

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The latest financial results from Rightmove suggest that "Britons' interest in property purchases remained undimmed during 2024", said The Guardian. The UK's biggest online property website revealed people spent 16.4 billion minutes on its site during the year – or 31,202 years – up 6% compared with 2023, making it the fourth most-visited website in the UK, behind the BBC, the newspaper group Reach and the government's Gov.uk.

1. Cambridge: £470,500

The skyline of the historic city is dominated by tightly packed college buildings, with cultural attractions such as world-class art collections. For green space there are the Backs, the colleges' riverside gardens, parks, the Botanic Garden and countryside all around the city.

2. Oxford: £447,600

The home, of course, of the University of Oxford, the oldest university in the English-speaking world. The city is packed with quadrangles, gothic spires and listed buildings, plus parks and the possibility of punting on the river. Its green belt protects rural surroundings – and limits housing availability. The Chilterns and Cotswolds are on the doorstep.

3. Bristol: £339.400

Built around the River Avon, spanned by the Clifton Suspension Bridge, the city-centre docks have been redeveloped as cultural and heritage centres. With the M4 and M5 nearby, it also has an international airport, and is within easy reach of the North Somerset coast.

4. Bournemouth: £327,200

Dorset's largest conurbation has seven miles of award-winning beaches offering diverse watersports, one of southern England's largest entertainment venues and an international airport. To the west is Poole Harbour, Europe's largest natural harbour, with the New Forest to the east.

5. Portsmouth: £277,700

A waterfront city, centred around a port and naval base, Portsmouth is home to beaches, cultural and artistic hotspots, and stacks of green space. It's known for its maritime heritage and and houses Portsmouth's Historic Dockyard, with ships including the Mary Rose, and a cruise terminal and international ferry port nearby.

6. Edinburgh: £275,300

Scotland's capital, perched on an extinct volcano, is renowned for its medieval Old Town, and Georgian New Town, and many historic sites including Edinburgh Castle. As befits a Unesco World Heritage Site and City of Literature, it's home to no fewer than 10 major international festivals.

7. Southampton: £257,700

This southern coast port city in Hampshire is home to the longest surviving stretch of medieval walls in England, and the largest theatre in the south of England. Its excellent transport links include road, rail and an international airport, plus ferries and a major cruise terminal. Close to countryside, there's easy access to the coast and the New Forest.

8. Cardiff: £253,500

The Welsh capital is compact, with national museums, a spectacular castle and a 76,000-seat sports stadium in the heart of the city. Transport-wise, there are convenient motorways, rail links and an international airport. Nearby is the scenic Glamorgan Heritage Coast.

9. Manchester: £228,600

Home to world-famous football, renowned art galleries and a music scene, Manchester was once the world's manufacturing powerhouse. Its former industrial buildings now house shops, restaurants and accommodation. Its airport is the busiest outside London, and trains, buses and trams serve the city.

10. Leicester: £227,500

In the heart of England, built on the Grand Union Canal and surrounded by beautiful market towns, is one of the oldest cities in the country and the place where King Richard III was killed in battle. Home to one of Europe's largest covered markets, it has a multicultural buzz and is close to the M1, with Birmingham and East Midlands airports a short drive away.

11. Leeds: £212,300

The unofficial capital of Yorkshire has vibrant cultural and sporting communities, world-class theatre and an expanding retail sector. The city has a big student population, stimulating the growth of its nightlife. It's well-connected to the rest of the country, served by extensive road, bus and rail networks.

12. Birmingham: £211,300

The second largest city in the UK, Birmingham is regarded as the social, cultural and commercial centre of the Midlands. It is home to a number of major arts institutions – the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Library of Birmingham and The Barber Institute of Fine Arts. The city is a major transport hub, served by the M5, M6, M40 and M42 motorways.

13. Nottingham: £204,800

Robin Hood's battleground is filled with historic remnants, from the city’s 11th-century castle to the Lace Market, a protected heritage site. Served by trams, it is one of only nine English cities to have a light rail system.

14. Belfast: £184,300

Property prices in Northern Ireland are "going through somewhat of a boom", said This is Money, with the homes in the capital growing by an average of 6.9% last year, the most in the UK. The city, one of only three Unesco Music Cities, sits on the banks of the River Lagank and houses the Titanic Belfast museum and St. George's Market. A new bus service makes the scenic Causeway Coast easily accessible.

15. Sheffield: £174,900

The city has more trees per person than any other in England, over 60% green space and more than a third sits within the Peak District National Park. The city centre has a major retail scene, featuring several department stores and luxury boutiques.