TrackPostcode.UK

Rankings

Cheapest places to live in the UK

Ranked on cost of living, using average private rents, which is the household cost that varies most by location.

In short

The cheapest places to live in the UK are ranked here by average private rent from the ONS Price Index of Private Rents. The current top three are Dumfries (97), Hartlepool (97) and Stranraer (97).

  • Cost of living category: ONS Price Index of Private Rents, by local authority.
  • Ranked from 539 indexed UK areas, rebuilt daily from the latest published figures.
  • Every area links to a full report with the source behind each figure.

Compiled by the TrackPostcode.UK data team Data last updated How we score every area Data sources

Dumfries97Hartlepool97Stranraer97Burnley93Brecon93Grimsby93Accrington92Bishop Auckland92Chester-le-Street92Consett92
Cheapest places to live in the UK: the top ten, drawn from the same figures as the table below.
Top ten compared across the categories that most often change the answer
#AreaNationScoreCost of livingSafetyWeatherBroadband
=1DumfriesScotland9797482268
=1HartlepoolEngland9797397897
=1StranraerScotland979748—68
=4BurnleyEngland9393416496
=4BreconWales939367—55
=4GrimsbyEngland939339—96
=7AccringtonEngland9292456495
=7Bishop AucklandEngland9292557888
=7Chester-le-StreetEngland9292537888
=7ConsettEngland9292527888

Category scores are 0 to 100 and a dash means that dataset has not loaded for the area yet, in which case it is excluded from the overall score rather than guessed at. Open any area for the full report and its sources.

Cheapest places to live in the UK: the full ranking

Areas are ranked on whatever categories they have, with the weights renormalised over them, so an area with a gap is scored on its own remaining evidence. Show only areas measured on all twelve categories to compare like with like.

=1DumfriesDumfries and Galloway, Scotland · 100% complete97=1HartlepoolHartlepool, North East, England · 100% complete97=1StranraerDumfries and Galloway, Scotland · 90% complete97=4BurnleyBurnley, North West, England · 100% complete93=4BreconPowys, Wales · 90% complete93=4GrimsbyNorth East Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and The Humber, England · 85% complete93=7AccringtonHyndburn, North West, England · 100% complete92=7Bishop AucklandCounty Durham, North East, England · 100% complete92=7Chester-le-StreetCounty Durham, North East, England · 100% complete92=7ConsettCounty Durham, North East, England · 100% complete92=7PeterleeCounty Durham, North East, England · 100% complete92=7SeahamCounty Durham, North East, England · 100% complete92=7DurhamCounty Durham, North East, England · 95% complete92=7Newton AycliffeCounty Durham, North East, England · 95% complete92=7RedcarRedcar and Cleveland, North East, England · 95% complete92=16NelsonPendle, North West, England · 100% complete91=16IrvineNorth Ayrshire, Scotland · 90% complete91=16KilmarnockEast Ayrshire, Scotland · 90% complete91=16AyrSouth Ayrshire, Scotland · 85% complete91=20CarlisleCumberland, North West, England · 100% complete90=20TredegarBlaenau Gwent, Wales · 100% complete90=20Ebbw ValeBlaenau Gwent, Wales · 95% complete90=20WhitehavenCumberland, North West, England · 90% complete90=20WorkingtonCumberland, North West, England · 90% complete90=25BarnsleyBarnsley, Yorkshire and The Humber, England · 100% complete89=25CarmarthenCarmarthenshire, Wales · 100% complete89=25CramlingtonNorthumberland, North East, England · 100% complete89=25DoncasterDoncaster, Yorkshire and The Humber, England · 100% complete89=25MexboroughDoncaster, Yorkshire and The Humber, England · 100% complete89=25DarlingtonDarlington, North East, England · 95% complete89=25RotherhamRotherham, Yorkshire and The Humber, England · 95% complete89=25AshingtonNorthumberland, North East, England · 90% complete89=25HaverfordwestPembrokeshire, Wales · 90% complete89=25LouthEast Lindsey, East Midlands, England · 90% complete89=25Milford HavenPembrokeshire, Wales · 90% complete89=25NeathNeath Port Talbot, Wales · 90% complete89=25SkegnessEast Lindsey, East Midlands, England · 90% complete89=25Berwick-upon-TweedNorthumberland, North East, England · 85% complete89=25BlythNorthumberland, North East, England · 85% complete89=25HexhamNorthumberland, North East, England · 85% complete89=25Kingston upon HullKingston upon Hull, City of, Yorkshire and The Humber, England · 85% complete89=25LlanelliCarmarthenshire, Wales · 85% complete89=25MorpethNorthumberland, North East, England · 85% complete89=25Port TalbotNeath Port Talbot, Wales · 85% complete89=45HawickScottish Borders, Scotland · 100% complete88=45HolyheadIsle of Anglesey, Wales · 100% complete88=45SunderlandSunderland, North East, England · 100% complete88=45MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough, North East, England · 95% complete88=45GalashielsScottish Borders, Scotland · 90% complete88=45PrestatynDenbighshire, Wales · 90% complete88

Best in Scotland

=1DumfriesDumfries and Galloway, Scotland97=1StranraerDumfries and Galloway, Scotland97=3IrvineNorth Ayrshire, Scotland91=3KilmarnockEast Ayrshire, Scotland91=3AyrSouth Ayrshire, Scotland91=6HawickScottish Borders, Scotland88=6GalashielsScottish Borders, Scotland88=8LerwickShetland Islands, Scotland87=8StornowayNa h-Eileanan Siar, Scotland87=8ThursoHighland, Scotland87

Best in England

1HartlepoolHartlepool, North East, England97=2BurnleyBurnley, North West, England93=2GrimsbyNorth East Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and The Humber, England93=4AccringtonHyndburn, North West, England92=4Bishop AucklandCounty Durham, North East, England92=4Chester-le-StreetCounty Durham, North East, England92=4ConsettCounty Durham, North East, England92=4PeterleeCounty Durham, North East, England92=4SeahamCounty Durham, North East, England92=4DurhamCounty Durham, North East, England92

Best in Wales

1BreconPowys, Wales93=2TredegarBlaenau Gwent, Wales90=2Ebbw ValeBlaenau Gwent, Wales90=4CarmarthenCarmarthenshire, Wales89=4HaverfordwestPembrokeshire, Wales89=4Milford HavenPembrokeshire, Wales89=4NeathNeath Port Talbot, Wales89=4LlanelliCarmarthenshire, Wales89=4Port TalbotNeath Port Talbot, Wales8910HolyheadIsle of Anglesey, Wales88

Ranked from 539 indexed areas by TrackPostcode.UK scores. Coverage grows as more areas are indexed.

About this ranking

How is cost of living measured?

It is based on average private rents from the ONS Price Index of Private Rents - the largest and most locally variable living cost. ONS analysis shows most other prices vary little between regions, so rent is the honest single indicator. Right now the highest are Dumfries (97/100), Hartlepool (97/100), Stranraer (97/100).

Does this include bills and food?

Those vary far less by location than housing, so the score focuses on rent as the dominant local cost. The affordability calculator lets you add your own living costs for a personal estimate.

How current is the rent data?

It uses the latest monthly edition of the ONS Price Index of Private Rents, re-imported as new editions publish.

Every ranking

Best places to liveBest places for remote workersBest places for familiesBest places for studentsBest places for retirementBest places under £200,000Most affordable placesSafest placesSunniest placesBest weatherFastest broadbandCleanest airBest places for jobsBest transport linksMost to doBest healthcare access

The same index ordered by a different measurement each time, from the same twelve category scores and rebuilt daily. Each one states on its own page what it measures and what it does not.

Read next: the best places to live in the UK, the most affordable places to live, the safest places to live, the sunniest places in the UK, the relocation quiz and how every score is built.

What this ranking measures: Cost of living category: ONS Price Index of Private Rents, by local authority. Read the full methodology before quoting a figure.

Primary source: ONS. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.