UK’s Most Affordable Cities for New Graduates
The majority of us out there know the struggles after graduation. You finally have your degree, and now it’s time to choose where you are going to set up shop. How do you even begin to decide? What factors should you consider? What are the best cities for graduates? You will look for the best cities to live in the UK. This decision will directly affect how the next few years of your life will pass. Whether you will be scraping money together for a meal or will you have some extra cash at the end of every week that you can store away for a rainy day. Here is a list of the cheapest place to live in England.
Breakdown
To calculate which city is the most affordable, we need to factor in certain expenses such as rent, income tax, student loans, utilities, and also the price of an average pint. These are then compared against the average starting salary for graduates within said areas to paint an accurate picture. So after great consideration, these are the results of the best places to move after graduation.
The UK’s Most Affordable
- Sheffield is the most affordable city for graduates after factoring in all the expenses, Sheffield holds the perfect balance with a relatively high income and relatively low renting prices. This is one of the best cities to live in the UK. Graduates who choose to live here will have a lot more disposable income to enjoy.
- Glasgow is a close second and is also a very good option for any graduates. This city can help them, achiever, their career goals. Accommodation and lifestyle are reasonable. This is why it is one of the best cities to live in the UK.
Planning for Further Education?
If you are planning for further education, then the situation becomes more serious. You need the cheapest place to live in England so that you can manage study and career. For admission to your university or essay assignment, you will need good writing skills. If you are not a good personal statement writer, you can always address personal statement writing service by writix.co.uk and buy it online. This can increase your chances of entering the institute in the city that you have chosen.
The UK’s Least Affordable
London and Brighton are the worst places for graduates to live based on the quality of life that graduates will need to endure a lack of disposable funds. Although London offers new graduates very good starting salaries, the rent in London is by far the highest compared to the cheapest rent on are list with is in Liverpool at just under £300, London is over 4 times the price coming in at £1,337. So, this is not an affordable place to live in England.
Salary Potential
After taking all the expenses and rental prices into consideration, graduates should research which area have the most job opportunities. After doing so, also consider salary growth. For example, if a graduate chooses to work and live in London, which is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in, the salaries in London, on average, rise 53.9%, which will put them in a much better position in the long run.
Disposable Income
Some graduates may only be concerned about how much money they have at the end of the week. Sheffield or Glasgow are the perfect cities for them with great job potential, great starting salaries, and low cost of living. They would also have enough money to begin saving should they wish to do so.
Best Location
For some graduates, it is acceptable to pay extra but live in the city center or as close to as possible. There are job opportunities available, and including those with higher salaries. However, the rent cannot be avoided. For those that don’t mind the commute, Bristol and Reading are great options; they are around half an hour away from London center with reasonable rent prices they will be able to commute in and out of town without spending an arm and a leg.
| Location | Average starting salary | Average rent for two bedrooms | Rent per tenant | Income after tax, student loans, rent and utilities | Cost per pint |
| Sheffield | £25,000 | £667 | £333.50 | £1,173.88 | £2.70 |
| Glasgow | £25,000 | £662 | £331 | £1,133.74 | £2.75 |
| Leeds | £25,000 | £743 | £371.50 | £1,119.62 | £2.50 |
| Newcastle | £24,000 | £638 | £319 | £1,116.83 | £1.85 |
| Birmingham | £25,000 | £818 | £409 | £1,043.10 | £2.87 |
| Liverpool | £23,000 | £588 | £294 | £1,041.91 | £2.80 |
| Manchester | £25,000 | £876 | £438 | £999.84 | £3.00 |
| Cardiff | £23,000 | £788 | £394 | £989.94 | £3.50 |
| Bristol | £25,000 | £1,082 | £541 | £922 | £2.95 |
| Reading | £25,000 | £1,109 | £554.70 | £878.10 | £3.47 |
| Edinburgh | £25,000 | £1,366 | £683 | £777.32 | £3.50 |
| Oxford | £29,000 | £1,934 | £967 | £711.03 | £4.00 |
| Brighton | £23,000 | £1,286 | £643 | £677.25 | £3.45 |
| London | £29,000 | £2,674 | £1,337 | £308.90 | £3.92 |
Conclusion
Every graduate is different, some prefer to live centrally and some prefer to stay clear of the center. This article shows the best cities for new graduates regarding rent, salaries and the cost of living, but as a graduate, they need to decide for themselves which city is the best option based on their interests, and lifestyle. Each one of these cities has many opportunities for work, socializing and cultural learning. From a general viewpoint, Sheffield and Glasgow are the best options with the perfect combinations to ensure a great quality of life.
I hope you enjoyed reading: UK’s Most Affordable Cities for New Graduates.
