Hull has been named the most affordable city in Britain to rent in, with the average monthly cost being as low as £799.
Rent in the area is 48% below the national average of £1,369, according to new research collected by property website Rightmove, making the prospect of moving to the city desirable for renters who want to minimise their living costs.
The typical monthly rental payment in Hull takes up 26% of the average single monthly earning across the UK, compared with 50% nationally, meaning that tenants in Hull have more disposable income than those elsewhere.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Other affordable cities for renters include Carlisle where the average rent is £816, and Wrexham where a typical month’s rent will set you back by £817.
Steve Pimblett, Chief Data Officer at Rightmove, said: “With average rents continuing to rise in most cities, many are having to consider their affordability when choosing a city to live in, including students heading off for their university adventure later this year.
“We are seeing rental price growth slowing overall and a better balance between supply and demand. However, as seen by this data, the picture can look quite different depending on where you’re looking to live, and agents tell us the market is still very busy compared with pre-pandemic norms.”
The average price of private rent in the UK increased by 9.0% in the 12 months to December 2024, according to a provisional estimate by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
However, the average advertised rent of properties coming to market outside of London fell by 0.2% to £1,341 per calendar month over the last quarter, separate Rightmove data suggests.
Meanwhile, UK house prices increased by 4.7% in 2024, the Nationwide House Price Index suggests.
We look at the top places for buy-to-let rental yields in another guide.
Here’s a full list of the top ten of the most inexpensive places to rent in the country:
The cheapest places to rent in England
| Rank | City | Average advertised rent per calendar month | Average monthly rent as a % of average single monthly earning | Average rental price growth compared to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hull | £799 | 26% | +8.2% |
| 2 | Carlisle | £816 | 27% | +10.4% |
| 3 | Wrexham | £817 | 27% | -16.3% |
| 4 | Sunderland | £833 | 27% | +12.9% |
| 5 | Stoke-On-Trent | £862 | 28% | +5.5% |
| 6 | Bradford | £876 | 29% | +8.6% |
| 7 | Dundee | £885 | 29% | -3.7% |
| 8 | Doncaster | £893 | 29% | +2.7% |
| 9 | Lancaster | £964 | 32% | +3.9% |
| 10 | Preston | £986 | 32% | +3.5% |
The most expensive places to rent in England
Some of the most expensive places to rent in Britain include many cities in the East and South East of England. Unsurprisingly, London takes the top spot with the average advertised rent reaching a new record of £2,695 a month, representing 88% of average monthly earnings in Britain.
Other costly places to rent in England include St Albans, where the average monthly rent is £2,330, and Oxford, where rent will cost you around £2,041 a month.
Edinburgh is Britain’s 10th most expensive city to rent in, and Scotland’s most expensive city for renters.
| Rank | City | Average advertised rent per calendar month | Average monthly rent as a % of average single monthly earning | Average rental price growth compared to last year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | £2,695 | 88% | +8.2% |
| 2 | St. Albans | £2,330 | 76% | +2.2% |
| 3 | Oxford | £2,041 | 67% | +2.8% |
| 4 | Winchester | £1,985 | 65% | -3.3% |
| 5 | Brighton | £1,880 | 62% | +3.5% |
| 6 | Cambridge | £1,870 | 61% | +1.8% |
| 7 | Chelmsford | £1,857 | 61% | +8.5% |
| 8 | Salford | £1,739 | 57% | +30.5% |
| 9 | Milton Keynes | £1,641 | 54% | +9.2% |
| 10 | Edinburgh | £1,620 | 53% | +5.3% |
Related articles
-
Rightmove: UK asking prices drop as market adjusts to higher stamp duty costsSellers are coming to market with lower asking prices to attract buyers amid a glut of supply
-
8 of the best houses for sale with outdoor swimming poolsThe best houses for sale with outdoor swimming pools – from a family house in Wimbledon Village, London, to a 1640s mansion in Derbyshire with a heated swimming pool in the grounds
-
8 of the best houses for sale with outdoor swimming pools
The best houses for sale with outdoor swimming pools – from a family house in Wimbledon Village, London, to a 1640s mansion in Derbyshire with a heated swimming pool in the grounds
-
8 of the best houses for sale for around £2 millionThe best houses for sale for around £2 million – from a houseboat moored at London’s Prospect Quay, Wandsworth, to a 15th-century chateau in Pas-de-Calais, France
-
How to bid for luxury property at auctionMore people are buying luxury property at auction – but think carefully before you bid, says David Prosser
-
8 of the best lakeside properties for saleThe best lakeside properties – from a house on the southeastern shore of Loch Lomond, to a 15th-century hall overlooking a lake in King’s Lynn, Norfolk
-
8 of the best properties for sale for around £1 millionThe best properties for sale for around £1 million – from a Grade II-listed former watermill in Torpoint, Cornwall, to a two-bedroom apartment close to London’s Kensington High Street
-
8 of the best converted properties for sale nowThe best converted properties for sale – from an apartment in the former Hartley’s Jam factory on London’s Southbank, to a converted 18th-century mill in Itteringham, Norfolk
-
8 of the best houses for sale for around £500,000Some of the best houses for sale for around £500,000 – from a 19th-century stone farm cottage in North Yorkshire and a two-bedroom apartment in Edinburgh’s New Town to a converted Methodist chapel in Norfolk
-
8 of the best properties for sale by the seaThis week: the best properties for sale beside the sea – from a six-storey Georgian townhouse in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, to a house on Scotland’s Knoydart peninsula overlooking the Sound of Sleat
