What is the most affordable & nice city to live in UK?

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Straightoutta86@reddit

Newcastle without a doubt. Coast and countryside on your doorstep and very affordable housing.

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Lympwing2@reddit

This is the correctest answer on this thread. Newcastle is a great city full of lovely people in a cracking location- 20 mins east to the coast, 20 mins west to the northumberland countryside.

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Desperate-Drawer-572@reddit (OP)

Is it nice though?

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Plastic_Length8618@reddit

Yes. Loads of interesting architecture from the Georgian era onwards. And also a really good vibe. Like drunk people would sing in the street instead of fighting.

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Hivemind_alpha@reddit

Most of the good architecture was gutted out of the city centre for bypasses and shopping centres.

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silentv0ices@reddit

Now I won't argue that some of the architecture was gutted, royal arcade and old eldon square being the two that come to mind but most is just not true.

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The Royal Arcade (1831–1832): Designed by John Dobson, this was a magnificent neo-classical building that was controversially demolished in the 1960s, a move sometimes described as "cultural vandalism".Old Town Hall (1863): Located in the Bigg Market, it was initially a notable structure but fell into disrepair before being demolished in 1973.

Eldon Square Terraces: While a portion remains, significant parts of the west and north terraces of the Georgian Eldon Square were demolished in the 1960s to make way for the shopping center.

Handyside Arcade (1906): A popular and distinctive Edwardian arcade, it was demolished in 1987 to make way for the Eldon Garden extension.

The Mayfair Ballroom: A major 1960s entertainment venue and legendary music venue, it was knocked down to make way for The Gate leisure complex.

Noble Street: This area was described as a "ghetto" before being cleared as part of the city's redevelopment, a process often remembered for the intense confrontation between residents and planners.

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cmrndzpm@reddit

Like drunk people would sing in the street instead of fighting.

We definitely do a healthy mix of both! But no more than other cities I’m sure.

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Any_Foundation_661@reddit

I've been to Newcastle a few times and am very well travelled generally. Internationally and nationally.

You do way more of both and more power to you.

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Straightoutta86@reddit

Nah it's shite. Thats why I answered it. The brief was most expensive and shite right?

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kevkevverson@reddit

😂 OP is a massive plum

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DeirdreBarstool@reddit

No it’s fucking awful. We all live on Greggs and have fights over who has the best flat cap between the greyhound races.

Definitely please do not consider moving here.

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froghogdog19@reddit

It’s getting very unaffordable compared to sages though. House prices and rents have really shot up, especially in the nice areas.

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First-Edge-2536@reddit

Love Newcastle, I lived there for 7 years and only left as I went overseas. Such an underrated city, and the very best people

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7salmon@reddit

100% this. Also, you can live in the more affordable areas of the city and not have to drive. Everything is easily accessible via the Metro.

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Drewski811@reddit

I'd argue York isn't affordable considering the wages of the area. Most people are commuting distances to work closer to Leeds to get the kind of salary that means they can reasonably afford that kind of nice house.

Of course, some in York do get that, but there simply aren't that many jobs around - it's a small place.

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LooseAlternative1343@reddit

As nice as that end of the country is, I could probably stand the RS3 Cuzzy Mush accent for approximately 20 seconds.

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msmoth@reddit

As a York resident, it's definitely not affordable unless you've got money from living and working elsewhere. Property is so expensive to both rent and to buy.

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No_Pie1022@reddit

Yep, my mum & sister both moved to surrounding areas due to rising costs.

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msmoth@reddit

I'm a transplant, albeit I've been in York for nearly 15 years now. The pandemic really accelerated the property price increases locally, which has rapidly out-priced locals.

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WanderingAlbertRoss@reddit

A transplant?! 😆

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msmoth@reddit

Have you never heard that before?

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WanderingAlbertRoss@reddit

Nope. Is it a Yorkshire term or something?

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msmoth@reddit

Not as far as I'm aware.

It's just another way of saying "incomer" (which you hear in some of the SW/Wales) of "from off" or "you ain't from round 'ere".

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WanderingAlbertRoss@reddit

😆 From Off is cute (also obviously not heard of that one either!)

I can't actually think what word we use for people who move here. Maybe we don't as it's just a normal thing

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msmoth@reddit

I quite like "from off" but I don't think it's often meant kindly.

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WanderingAlbertRoss@reddit

Ah right, no worries. The Welsh do have cute ways of putting things though.

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froghogdog19@reddit

Thé same has happened in my area (coastal North East England near Newcastle). I can’t afford to live where I grew up and it’s devastating.

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Specific_Club_7640@reddit

It's worse in the SW. Bristol, in particular, is far too expensive. Ex authority houses in dodgy areas going for £300,000.

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Lost-In-The-Wood5@reddit

Tynemouth?

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froghogdog19@reddit

Whitley Bay 😭 parents bought the 3 bed semi I grew up in for £70k in the late 90s, added a bedroom and bathroom in the naughtiest, and then sold it in 2024 for over £500k. This is just a standard semi detached house with a tiny garden as well. You have ex council houses going for £250k!

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msmoth@reddit

I have friends who live in Whitley Bay. Only manageable as two high earners with previous property ownership and by buying somewhere that required A Lot of work.

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Lost-In-The-Wood5@reddit

My granddad's sister used to have a house in Tynemouth many many moons ago. We're an average working class family so massively beyond our reach now. It's scary to think what it could be worth now. When she lived there she went swimming in the sea every day.

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Ok-Garage-1684@reddit

Ouch. Where do people end up going if they are priced out? It gets rural very quickly round York.

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msmoth@reddit

Selby, apparently

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No_Pie1022@reddit

Yes I think it was around that time they moved actually. Can’t remember exactly. Price of a bus or petrol driving in is nothing compared to how much they’re saving for living a couple of miles out.

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IRBorg@reddit

The villages and towns around York are more affordable. For example, Pocklington or Market Weighton. York itself is £££££.

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MasticatedBrain@reddit

Come to Scarborough where it's cheap but the wages are low too!

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Full_Cook_7795@reddit

This. Im a legal recruiter and cover the Yorkshire region.

The difference in salaries between York and Leeds isn't to be sniffed at. York considering its overall cost of living doesn't pay nearly as well as it should.

With hybrid working pretty much a mainstay (certainly in the legal sectir) I know a lot of people commute to Leeds to pick up the better salaries there to afford York and work 2 days from home to try and save on commute costs.

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AromaticCream1987@reddit

400k isn't affordable to more than half the population who are in a position to buy

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Plastic_Length8618@reddit

Glasgow. Everyone in England thinks it’s a dump but it’s a great European city.

Tons of fanstastic architecture. Properly dense centre with loads you can walk to. Lots going on culturally especially music and fune art.

And £400k would get you a gorgeous flat - all stained glass and cornices.

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Potential-Badger-939@reddit

For folk earning scottish wages, it’s becoming very unaffordable.

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PersonalityOld8755@reddit

Exactly- you don’t have job security either as if you something happens to your job it can take a while to find something new.

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thatisnotaleopard@reddit

Or put another way, folk paying Scottish taxes

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PersonalityOld8755@reddit

Mmmm I’m from Glasgow and I think it’s gone downhill a lot in the last 5-8 years..

10 years ago I would have agreed with you.

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ScottishOnyuns@reddit

Glasgow is currently seeing most homes going for 10% above home report due to the number of people wanting to move there. The gentrification has been ongoing for decades (West end, Southside and more recently East End’s Dennistoun) and appears to be getting worse over time.

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twirling_daemon@reddit

Glasgow is one of very few cities I’d be very happy to land in

It seems a fantastic, vibrant place and j have a special love for Scots

Just don’t think I could cope with the weather

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Whole_Ad_8229@reddit

Yes, but a flat. Christ alive.

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thefooleryoftom@reddit

Some flats are very nice.

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Whole_Ad_8229@reddit

Yet never as nice as a house in which you don't have neighbours above and/or below you. Being in such close proximity to others will never be a positive in my eyes!

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midnightbandit-@reddit

I much prefer living in a high rise

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thefooleryoftom@reddit

This is extremely subjective. Some people prefer a flat and the proximity to a city they entail, facilities etc they offer.

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ignatiusjreillyXM@reddit

I think Scottish cities in general do apartment living much better than anywhere in England - it really is a significant cultural distinction between the countries (maybe worse weather makes a garden less desirable, while Scottish properly laws making owning a flat a lot less hassle than it is in English i.e. no leasehold).

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NGeoTeacher@reddit

Glasgow is my favourite city in the UK! It's lovely, and people really don't appreciate just how amazing the architecture is there.

You can make friends in Glasgow in about 10 minutes after arriving. I've genuinely never been to a city quite like Glasgow where people will actually talk to random strangers in the pub - feels like a bygone time. As a folk musician, Glasgow is basically a mecca for me.

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sossighead@reddit

Glasgow is a gem but my assumption is it would be expensive given everything you mentioned. £400k for a flat does seem to back up my assumption 🤣

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ignatiusjreillyXM@reddit

That's a good answer, maybe the best one. Such an intense and energetic cultural centre and with such a firm sense of its own identity. The fact you can live in or near the city centre without it costing a fortune of another big bonus

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Diligent_Craft_1165@reddit

Stayed with a friend up there last summer and loved it. Felt like a bigger version of Bristol with loads more stuff to do.

Would move up there if I could get a job. Sadly stuck in Bristol for the time being.

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hallouminati_pie@reddit

Everyone in England doesn't think it's a dump. It's a fantastic city with some really amazing architecture and properties.

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impossiblejane@reddit

I'm going with St David's purely because it always gets overlooked in these threads. It's small but mighty with it's sea and cliffs and pubs and history.

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imtheorangeycenter@reddit

Wells is also raising their hand

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Veruca_Salts_dad@reddit

Wells isn't that affordable though.

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imtheorangeycenter@reddit

For some reason I also inferred "small"!

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Stunning-Bumblebee45@reddit

Bonum Commune Communitatis

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Srapture@reddit

People shit on it, but I've loved living in Milton Keynes, personally.

Plenty to do, plenty of green spaces, quick to drive around anywhere, easy to cycle (or electric scoot) anywhere without crossing roads, and a fairly quick train journey into London.

My partner and I bought a detached house here for £350k a few years ago.

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Efficient_Hyena_7476@reddit

Chester.

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Careless-Country6377@reddit

Lol. York is NOT affordable.

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Timely_Note_1904@reddit

York isn't great for jobs compared to the cost of living there. Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle and Liverpool are all good shouts.

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Lost-In-The-Wood5@reddit

I'd argue that Liverpool and Leeds aren't as nice as Newcastle and Manchester, and Manchester property prices have exploded so is not affordable anymore. So that leaves Newcastle as the obvious choice

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Jack070293@reddit

Sheffield too

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Lost-In-The-Wood5@reddit

York and affordable doesn't come into the same conversation. York is an expensive place to live.

The right answer is Newcastle. Good schools, good employment opportunities, nice city, very safe, good public transport, easy access to great beaches and the countryside, and nice family homes in good areas for £250k.

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avemango@reddit

York affordable? I want what you’re on

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Due-Property-6995@reddit

/cries in Cambridge rental market

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Ok_Yam_4023@reddit

When I was a student in Cambridge 85-88 I was paying £25 per week rent for a bedroom in a shared house whereas my friend who went to uni in Liverpool was paying £13 per week for the same

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No-Wealth4955@reddit

I’d agree…a beautiful place but that’s why it’s so expensive.

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Desperate-Drawer-572@reddit (OP)

Whats so unaffordable about it?

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Bardsie@reddit

The price

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-FantasticAdventure-@reddit

It’ll be the £400k bit probably 🤦🏼‍♂️🤣

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Admirable-Web-4688@reddit

AI says:

"As of early 2026, York has the highest average house prices in the Yorkshire and Humber region, with a provisional average price of approximately £311,000 in January 2026. It is considered one of the 15 least affordable cities in the UK relative to average salaries, often ranking alongside major southern cities in terms of relative cost in the region."

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msmoth@reddit

Even though I'm grumpy about AI this is still accurate.

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-FantasticAdventure-@reddit

Jesus fucking Christ, ya’ll be on some fucking salary to consider £400k affordable 🤣.

Nah, fuck this timeline. You need to cut back on the hard drugs.

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Punkodramon@reddit

Just went on a mortgage calculator.

£400,000 with a 10% deposit, 25 year mortgage at 3.75% interest, payments are £1,850 per month! Thats £22,200 a year, which is about the same as the total net pay of someone on a £30k salary after tax. Like that’s their entire wage, without bills and other costs of living.

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Electronic-Okra1228@reddit

I’d love to see these jobs in York paying the £80-100k needed for the average house.

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Cool_Doubt2152@reddit

Chester

Lincoln

Cardiff

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Splishsplash10000@reddit

If you can find a detached house for £400k in Cardiff it certainly won’t be in a nice area

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alphanovembercharlie@reddit

came here to say Lincoln. It is a lovely place to live.

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SkipperTheEyeChild1@reddit

If you don’t mind being a bit out of the way, Lincoln.

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Twinklypeaches@reddit

Durham!!!

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Ok_Veterinarian2715@reddit

Wisbech in Cambs - a charming town.

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alphanovembercharlie@reddit

hahahaha I mean its actually quite pretty in parts.

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ddbbaarrtt@reddit

Lincoln I’d say.

cheap houses, very well resourced city, decent entertainment options, several good schools. Excellent local history and cultural options too, bailgate area and steep hill is really pretty too

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alphanovembercharlie@reddit

we moved here 3 years ago from Cambridgeshire, absolutely love it. Housing is so reasonable and there are so many amenities. It is pretty safe and love having the university too it brings more vibrance to the place.

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toast-is-best@reddit

Keep quiet about Lincoln, we can't afford the house prices rising! Especially when Londoners realise we have a direct line to London.

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RiceeeChrispies@reddit

Direct line but only about five a day and hideously expensive. :(

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Breakwaterbot@reddit

I'm from Lincoln and will always love it however there's a reason I don't live there anymore. It's pretty isolated from the rest of the country as well as having very poor public transport and road systems. The employment opportunities are pretty poor, too.

Having said that, it really was a lovely place to grow up and I still enjoy going back to visit.

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bonshui@reddit

Dundee

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HodorsCock@reddit

Tremendous city. And 400k could buy you a 5 bed easily.

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Every_Restaurant_520@reddit

Depends how we're defining city limits. I think based on those criteria, and as someone who does live in a nice part of York (South Bank), I would vote for the nicer parts of Liverpool (Aigburth, Mossley Hill) Newcastle and Sheffield. Lincoln a good comparison. York probably nicer than all four, but a) York has Tang Hall and Chapelfields, b) those three northern cities are all much more interesting and c) better pubs, restaurants and sport, imho

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tragic_princess-79@reddit

Scotland

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twirling_daemon@reddit

£400K for a nice, large, detached property in a decent area comparative to many areas doesn’t sound too horrific

However, I personally (middle aged, know a variety of people across different ages/careers/areas etc) don’t know an awful lot of people who would consider a nice, large, detached property in a decent area or a £400K property a standard for comparison 😂

That’s something people tend to aspire to/work towards

If you want to gauge ‘affordable’ this isn’t a realistic benchmark

You need to consider standard first & second time type property prices & rental market plus wages/opportunities & transport accordingly

I’m sure York is a wonderful city. I’ve no doubt it’s priced accordingly with some consideration to the general area being cheaper on average than others

I’ve no idea what opportunities/transport/average actual wages are though

But just considering the type of property you’ve specified + the price bracket you’re including does not equal affordable

You’ve also said nothing about what makes it ‘a nice city to live in’ I guess perhaps because you’re surrounded by other people who think ‘a nice, large, detached property in a decent area @ £400K’ is average 🤷‍♀️😂

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Gildor12@reddit

Norwich won the Sunday Times best city to live in.

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Due-Property-6995@reddit

Yeah but have you lived there? I have, didn’t survive a full year.

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SwagDaddyMack@reddit

Sounds like a you problem.

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John_Catachan@reddit

Shhh, don't remind anyone!

I love our fine city.

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Gildor12@reddit

Haha

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Any_Foundation_661@reddit

What are your thoughts about the city centre pedestrianisation though?

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Due-Property-6995@reddit

Every city centre needs to be as car free as possible.

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Aid_Le_Sultan@reddit

As a visitor it was great.

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Warm-Marsupial8912@reddit

I believe at this point someone needs to mention traders' access to Dixons...

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Geepandjagger@reddit

Worcester or Hereford

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Farmgirl_88@reddit

Affordable is relative.

I wouldn’t say York is affordable. Most of my colleagues commute in from MUCH cheaper areas.

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ejmci@reddit

This is why people from York can't afford to live in York

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Alarm34@reddit

400k affordable?!!

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gowcog@reddit

If OP thinks York is "affordable" then I don't really know where to suggest that he won't consider a little "down-market"

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Ok-Garage-1684@reddit

I understand your hesitation. I’m probably like the OP. In fact I find York frustrating because it has a nice centre (which gets overcrowded) but I’ve heard it becomes quite drab further out, so I’m not sure I’d live there anyway.

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scum_manifesto@reddit

I lived in York for a year and didnt enjoy it. It’s a nice place to visit but the centre is constantly mobbed with tourists.

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Ok-Garage-1684@reddit

Yeah. I prefer somewhere like St Albans. It is a nice cathedral city that is not as ‘Wow’ like Central York but the suburbs are so much nicer, so there’s a visual consistency. It’s also less touristy. But houses are very expensive there. I don’t dislike York. I’ve had amazing days there!

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AIX-XON@reddit

Norwich

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Cosmic-Hippos@reddit

I can only speak for Scotland as I've been looking to rent. I found Dumfries and Galloway, Inverness, Fife, Clackmannanshire to be very affordable and beautiful. Central belt near Glasgow and Edinburgh are expensive and not nice places. More remote areas seem to be cheaper.

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Jane1943@reddit

Worcester, but I am biased because I was born in the county and went to school in Worcester, the median price of property is £290k.

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M1kbee@reddit

Affordable and nice?

Sorry, you can only pick one.

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Crocadilapig@reddit

Bradford

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AkihabaraWasteland@reddit

It's all relative. But my guess is that it's Scotland.

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CrustyHumdinger@reddit

Scotland isn't a city

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MinnieMouse2292@reddit

I visited Leeds once and I thought it was lovely!

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CrustyHumdinger@reddit

Shame about the locals

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Plus-Desk-737@reddit

I like Leeds. It reminded me a bit of Manchester with the old buildings but I preferred Leeds.

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CrustyHumdinger@reddit

Exeter

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Due-Property-6995@reddit

Would second York for sure, people were nice, easy cycling , housing was affordable. Despite the Times recent article, would not recommend Norwich. It’s nice if you are third generation Norfolk or prefer to be far away from the rest of the island but otherwise weird vibes all around. (Also not that affordable at all)

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New_Line4049@reddit

York isnt affordable in the city any more, prices have skyrocketed. Theres definitely affordable places around York, but you have to look outside the city. I think this is common in the UK, if you want nice and affordable step 1 is avoid the cities, look outside cities.

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Good_Lettuce_2690@reddit

Since when is 400k remotely affordable for the majority of people?

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Maleficent-Claim-349@reddit

Belfast? Why is Belfast not mentioned?

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loose-seals@reddit

Birmingham

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Eastern_Bit_9279@reddit

My family moved away from york because it isnt affordable , i would say newcastle ticks your boxes.

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orensiocled@reddit

Same. We had to move out of York after renting for 20 years because we couldn't afford to buy a house there

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kaleidoscopememories@reddit

We also moved away a couple of years ago as we couldn't afford to buy there either. Our old 2 bed house rent was £825 and it got relisted at £1150 when we left. Wouldn't call it affordable!

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Enough_Class_4332@reddit

For me I’d say Exeter. Too far from family for me but it’s a lovely city

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Realistic-Muffin-165@reddit

Edinburgh. Once your in the know it's possible to get a decent flat(upper or ground) with garden for under 200k in a nice part of town. Source - I used to live in one.

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Plastic_Squirrel6238@reddit

Stirling! It’s a small city but it’s got most things as long as you don’t need much nightlife. Great access to Glasgow and Edinburgh. Amazing countryside on the doorstep. Very friendly city. Relatively affordable housing.

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tmstms@reddit

Well.. York is actually regarded as a very expensive place to live.....

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6Bipty@reddit

Is £400k considered a widely affordable house now? £100k above the UK wide average?

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AirlineSevere7456@reddit

Depends, for people who have been on the housing market already for 15 years or more it possibly is.

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msmoth@reddit

I'm also not sure where OP is finding this £400k detached property in a nice area of York.

I live in a pretty desirable area and our semi-detached house cost nearly that 7 years ago.

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Larvesta_Harvesta@reddit

Completely agree. Detached house in a nice part of York is £500k minimum, and more likely £600k+.

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YorkieN@reddit

I’m a property developer in York and £400k would buy you a lovely house - a 2/3 bed off Bishy Road. 3 bed in Holgate/ Huntington and trad York semis in most areas; modern detached on Clifton Moor. I bought a 3 bed Victorian terrace off Burton Stone Lane for less than £200k last year which just needs a refresh. They are there if you look for them.

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JayWinny@reddit

Given that property developments are part of the reason many people can't find reasonably priced family homes, I'd probably keep shtum...

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YorkieN@reddit

I buy rundown, unloved houses (often at auction) and renovate them, one at a time then put them back on the market, making a small profit. It’s adding to housing for people who can afford a move-in ready property but might struggle to buy a fixer-upper and then the £50k it takes to renovate it. I’m really not the enemy here, just a semi-retired ex salesman who wanted to spend less time in Travelodges and more time at home!

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msmoth@reddit

OP has specifically said '"detached" and it's this that I'm questioning.

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YorkieN@reddit

A quick search of Rightmove shows 25 detached houses, up to 4 beds in York (within 3 miles of the centre) from £310k, none in bad areas 🤷🏻‍♂️

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MaidaValeAndThat@reddit

For a nice area, yeah. Especially so if it’s in the south east (or even south west now).

If I found a nice house for 400k in my nice area of the south east, I’d be over the moon.

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6Bipty@reddit

OP has asked about UK wide. South East England has the highest average household income in the UK and the most millionaires, it’s not really worth comparing.

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MaidaValeAndThat@reddit

Yeah but there’s a reason for that.

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6Bipty@reddit

Great, what’s the relevance? The topic is nicest, affordable places to live. Not “most expensive places to live but there’s a reason for it”

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Any-Republic-4269@reddit

Halifax - you can get a four bed grand victorian terrace in the poshest parts for £250k and the town has some gorgeous architecture. I'd suggest the same was true for similar big northern ex industrial towns that aren't the big cities. Huddersfield, Burnley, Preston - all of these might be looked down on a bit but actually are rather nice (maybe not all parts of them mind), have far more going on than you'd expect and are surrounded by lovely countryside

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Junior_Syrup_1036@reddit

York is nice, affordable ? Depends on your income

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Itchy-Book402@reddit

Not Newcastle. Most unfriendly city I've ever visited, everyone starts talking to you when you want just a quiet pint in a pub. Beaches are too sandy, and it's hard to find a single rock to rest your feet. And all these bridges, built on purpose so high up, so you could see less of the city skyline. And don't even make me start on their Tube version. It's too long and you can get lost on Monument Station.

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msmoth@reddit

I'm currently north of Newcastle for a visit. Awful. Don't come here. Beaches are too beachy. Sky is too blue. People too friendly...

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Itchy-Book402@reddit

Totally. You can't look up directly at the sun without hurting your eyes! Luckly, it gets easier when you cross the Scottish border

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ButterscotchSure6589@reddit

It's my home town, but I moved away for work in the 80s. It has come on leaps and bounds since then. I love going back. But there are rather a lot of Southerners there now.

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notaballitsjustblue@reddit

Bloody maccams

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Lomasgo@reddit

I see what you are trying to do.

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RelationshipLife6739@reddit

Newcastle is pretty cheap. Get a place in the South Northumberland towns and a cheap £2 train into the city centre with over like 200 bars in a miles radius. It’s getting more expensive now due to students overtaking the city but still cheap. Not far from the beach on the metro and a cheap airport too, what more could u want 🤷‍♂️

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BellendBuilder@reddit

Dude you chose the most expensive place in Yorkshire 😅

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New-Replacement-7638@reddit

Newcastle for sure

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Desperate-Drawer-572@reddit (OP)

Is it nice?

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silentv0ices@reddit

Is it nice? Can you name anywhere else with better access to an attractive walkable city center, the magnificent north east coast line and Northumberland countryside. I can be in the heart of the lake district in a little over a hour too.

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danmingothemandingo@reddit

A bit of tweaking my query to chatgpt for fun got this interesting answer:

Composite ranking using four weighted dimensions:

40% affordability (price-to-income ratio) 25% earnings strength (median wage level) 20% quality of life (green space, culture, commute, safety proxies) 15% economic opportunity (job density, growth sectors)

Tier 1 — Best overall balance (affordability + livability + jobs)

Leeds Strong salaries outside London Housing still moderate vs wages Large economy (finance, legal, tech) Excellent parks (Roundhay) and transport links Composite: Highest all-rounder

Glasgow Very strong affordability Major city culture (music, arts) Good salaries relative to cost Slight drag: weather, health metrics Composite: Best big-city value in UK

Newcastle upon Tyne Low housing cost + decent wages Compact, high quality of life Strong social/cultural scene Smaller job market than Leeds/Manchester Composite: High livability per £

Tier 2 — High quality of life, slightly weaker affordability

Manchester Best job market outside London Rapid wage growth sectors (tech/media) Housing rising quickly → eroding value Composite: Career-first choice

Sheffield Very strong affordability Unique access to Peak District Weaker salaries than Leeds/Manchester Composite: Lifestyle-first affordability

Edinburgh High wages (finance, gov, tech) Exceptional aesthetics + culture Housing expensive vs rest of Scotland Composite: Premium livability, mid affordability

Tier 3 — Very affordable but trade-offs

Liverpool Cheap housing Strong cultural identity Lower average wages, fewer high-end jobs Composite: Good value, weaker earnings ceiling

Hull Cheapest housing in UK cities Limited high-paying job sectors Composite: Pure affordability play

Stoke-on-Trent Very low housing cost Weaker amenities and job density Composite: Functional, not aspirational

Tier 4 — High quality but poor value

London Highest wages, best opportunities Global culture, infrastructure Housing cost overwhelms everything Composite: Career max, financial drain

Oxford and Cambridge Elite knowledge economies Severe housing constraints Composite: High prestige, low affordability

Final ranking (clean order)

Leeds Glasgow Newcastle Manchester Sheffield Edinburgh Liverpool Hull Stoke London Oxford / Cambridge

Structural insight

Best balance: Large northern cities (Leeds, Glasgow, Newcastle) Best careers: London, Manchester Best lifestyle + nature: Sheffield, Edinburgh Best pure affordability: Hull, Stoke Affordability alone points north. Adding livability and jobs elevates Leeds and Glasgow to the top.

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GreatChaosFudge@reddit

Functional not aspirational

Yes, that’s Stoke.

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Financial_Can6039@reddit

Norwich

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MaestroCodex@reddit

What you want it sounds like is an older "nice" town which is too far from a major hub to attract well healed commuters. York is a tourist centre and I imagine quite irritating to live in with all the tourists. And it's expensive for the region.

Alnwick in Northumberland is very nice. A bit too far from Newcastle to get too much overspill from there.

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LavingtonWindsor@reddit

Warwick, Exeter and Lichfield.

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harrietmjones@reddit

I’m from one of these cities, it’s not that nice a place to live and not super affordable either.

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LavingtonWindsor@reddit

I mean, everything is subjective but they are all places where I have lived recently (or have friends who currently live there) that are a lot more affordable than Oxford (where I live now). I chose these three because they are more compact than a lot of place with pretty town/city centres. Exeter is my favourite, tbh. I am sure they all have their problems!

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robbiegfuk@reddit

Exeter

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VegetableVindaloo@reddit

Plymouth

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PushingZedzzzzz@reddit

Unfortunately the terms "Affordable" & "Nice" don't usually go hand in hand.

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CarGullible5691@reddit

Depends where in York. City centre will be expensive. My daughter lives in Wigginton which is next to Haxby. They’re in a 3 bed semi detached house. It’s a few miles out but not that far and still handy for motorways etc. plenty of urban areas outside of the city. Look on Rightmove app.

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Odd-Paramedic-3826@reddit

theres nice, there's affordable, and then there's city. you can pick two of them

bradford is an affordable city, not very nice
brighton is a nice city, good luck moving there if you're not a nepo baby
there are a lot of wonderful small towns that are beautiful and cheap, but aren't cities and deny you the freedom and opportunities you'd get from living in one

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Interesting-Hawk-744@reddit

The most affordable cities in the UK are in Northern Ireland afaik, but the wages are low

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Rex__Luscus@reddit

St. Davids (Tyddewi) Pembrokeshire.

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odkfn@reddit

One of the most affordable cities right now is Aberdeen whose house prices are in a bubble of their own relative to the UK and are currently pretty low.

The city itself is quite small, mostly walkable and cyclable. On the doorstep of Aberdeenshire and not too far from the highlands / Glasgow / Edinburgh (2.5 hours in each direction). It’s super safe, the granite architecture is cool, and the granite houses are very robust.

The worst thing I think you could say about Aberdeen is that it’s quite boring!

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sinnertra@reddit

Liverpool or Newcastle. Lived in both and love them. Newcastle feels more isolated whereas you are at a reasonable distance away from other cities like Manchester from Liverpool. Both are close to the sea!

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mighty3mperor@reddit

Birmingham isn't that much further away down the motorway - I've done Liverpool to Brum for gigs.

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sinnertra@reddit

Me too! Came down to Brum in February for a gig.

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mighty3mperor@reddit

It's an easy route and the roads are clear on the way back, so it is hardly a chore.

Although it looks like we are over on one edge of England, the motorway infrastructure is excellent. Nipping up to Preston is no bother, I've driven to Hull and back to see a play and gone to Lancaster to see the Moon art project.

And Manchester is a no-brainer with the Lowry, War Museum and various musical venues being very easy to access from Liverpool - you can be in and out in no time.