Study finds most and least affordable cities for renters outside London

St Albans in Hertfordshire has topped a list of the most expensive cities to rent outside London.

Rightmove, which analysed advertised rents in more than 50 cities across Britain, said the average rent being asked in St Albans, a popular location with London commuters, is £2,307 per month. This is 71% above the average.

Oxford was next on the list, with advertised rents averaging £2,237 per month, while Cambridge was placed third, with renters typically facing paying £2,072 per month.

Edinburgh was in sixth place with a typical monthly rent of £1,778.

Carlisle in Cumbria was the most affordable city to rent in the study, with average advertised rents at £791 per month, 41% below the national average.

The national average advertised rent outside London is a record £1,349 per calendar month, Rightmove said.

The data was released as students prepare to start the new academic year.

Tim Bannister, a property expert at Rightmove, said: “The rental divide across Great Britain is clear, with an average difference of just over £1,500 (per month) between the most expensive and cheapest cities.

“Many of these cities have seen rental growth of over 40% over the past five years, meaning it’s likely to be a significant consideration when students are thinking about where to study, and those who have already graduated working out if they can afford to stay in that city and find a job.”

Here are average asking rents in the top 10 most expensive cities in Rightmove’s study (figures are for August 2024):

1. St Albans, east of England, £2,307

2. Oxford, South East, £2,237

3. Cambridge, east of England, £2,072

4. Winchester, South East, £2,049

5. Brighton, South East, £2,040

6. Edinburgh, Scotland, £1,778

7. Bristol, South West, £1,758

8. Chelmsford, east of England, £1,686

9. Milton Keynes, South East, £1,590

10. Southend-on-Sea, east of England, £1,495

And here are the 10 cheapest cities to rent in:

1. Carlisle, North West, £791

2. Hull, Yorkshire and the Humber, £804

3. Sunderland, North East, £807

4. Stoke-on-Trent, West Midlands, £863

5. Wrexham, Wales, £874

6. Bradford, Yorkshire and the Humber, £947

7. Preston, North West, £952

8. Doncaster, Yorkshire and the Humber, £974

9. Lancaster, North West, £993

10. Wakefield, Yorkshire and the Humber, £1,030