citiesabc, first_page
London Rent Now Takes More Than Half of Average Salary, New UK City Study Finds
26 Aug 2026
New research ranks the UK cities where one-bedroom rents consume the largest share of monthly take-home pay, with London, Brighton, Oxford, Bristol and Manchester leading the list.
25 August 2026 — Rent is taking up more than half of the average monthly salary in London, according to new research from Tradefix Direct examining housing affordability across major UK cities.
The study compared average monthly net salaries with typical rents for one-bedroom properties. It also tracked rents for two-bedroom and four-plus-bedroom homes.
London ranked as the least affordable city in the study, with a typical one-bedroom property costing £1,740 per month against an average net salary of £3,319.
That means rent alone takes up 52.4% of average take-home pay.
UK Cities Where Rent Takes the Biggest Share of Salary
| Rank | City | Avg. Monthly Net Salary | One-Bed Rent | Rent as % of Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | £3,319 | £1,740 | 52.4% |
| 2 | Brighton | £2,548 | £1,191 | 46.7% |
| 3 | Oxford | £3,017 | £1,350 | 44.7% |
| 4 | Bristol | £2,845 | £1,225 | 43.1% |
| 5 | Manchester | £2,510 | £993 | 39.6% |
| 6 | Edinburgh | £2,676 | £1,035 | 38.7% |
| 7 | Cambridge | £3,331 | £1,255 | 37.7% |
| 8 | Cardiff | £2,445 | £897 | 36.7% |
| 9 | Southampton | £2,500 | £878 | 35.1% |
| 10 | Belfast | £2,429 | £834 | 34.3% |
London Rent Leaves Less Than £1,600 for Everything Else
London remains the most difficult market in the ranking.
After paying the average one-bedroom rent, a typical worker would have less than £1,600 left for transport, food, utilities, council tax and other living costs.
The pressure becomes even more severe for larger households.
A two-bedroom property averages £2,205, while a four-or-more-bedroom home costs around £3,594 per month.
That is more than the typical London worker’s entire monthly take-home salary.
Brighton and Oxford Follow Closely
Brighton ranks second, with one-bedroom rent taking 46.7% of average monthly pay.
Average take-home salary is £2,548, while one-bedroom rent stands at £1,191.
Oxford follows at 44.7%, with an average one-bedroom rent of £1,350 and average monthly net salary of £3,017.
Both cities show how high housing costs are not limited to London.
Bristol Rent Takes More Than 43% of Salary
Bristol ranks fourth.
A one-bedroom property costs around £1,225 per month, while average take-home salary sits at £2,845.
That means workers spend about 43.1% of their income on rent before other bills.
Two-bedroom rents average £1,544, while homes with four or more bedrooms reach £2,549.
Manchester Shows Affordability Pressure Beyond Southern England
Manchester rounds out the top five.
Its rents are lower in absolute terms than London, Brighton or Oxford. However, lower average salaries mean housing still consumes a large share of income.
The average one-bedroom rent is £993, compared with monthly net pay of £2,510.
That leaves around £1,500 for all other expenses.
Rent therefore takes 39.6% of average monthly salary.
Southern England Dominates the Most Expensive Cities
The research shows a clear geographic pattern.
London, Brighton, Oxford and Bristol all appear in the top four.
Cambridge and Southampton also make the top 10.
However, the presence of Manchester, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast shows that high rental pressure is increasingly a nationwide issue.
The 30% Rent Rule Is Becoming Harder to Meet
Paul Kershaw from Tradefix Direct said the old rule that households should spend no more than 30% of income on rent is becoming increasingly difficult to follow.
He said:
“Of the 20 cities in this study, only six come in under that threshold.”
That suggests housing affordability is becoming a structural challenge rather than a problem confined to a small number of expensive cities.
Larger Homes Put Even More Pressure on Families
The research also recorded rental costs for larger properties.
In London, a four-bedroom home averages £3,594 per month.
In Oxford, the figure is £2,860.
Edinburgh is also high at £2,739, while Cambridge averages £2,658.
For families, these figures highlight how quickly housing costs can exceed the income of a single earner.
Why This Matters for UK Cities
High rental costs affect more than household budgets.
They can also influence where people choose to work, how long they commute and whether younger workers remain in major cities.
Employers may also face greater pressure to increase wages if staff struggle to afford housing close to workplaces.
For city leaders, rising rent-to-income ratios can become a wider issue involving transport, labour mobility, housing supply and economic competitiveness.
About the Research
The study examined major UK cities by comparing:
- average monthly net salaries after tax;
- one-bedroom rents;
- two-bedroom rents;
- four-or-more-bedroom rents;
- and rent as a share of take-home pay.
The percentage ranking is based on the average one-bedroom rent compared with average monthly net salary.
Source
Tradefix Direct — UK Rental Affordability Study, August 2026
Share
Sara Srifi
Sara is a Software Engineering and Business student with a passion for astronomy, cultural studies, and human-centered storytelling. She explores the quiet intersections between science, identity, and imagination, reflecting on how space, art, and society shape the way we understand ourselves and the world around us. Her writing draws on curiosity and lived experience to bridge disciplines and spark dialogue across cultures.
