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10 cheapest cities to rent in England
As living costs increase it’s good to know where renters can get the cheapest rent, and which the least affordable areas are.
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.
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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).
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
Swipe to scroll horizontally
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.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Rank
City
Average advertised rent per calendar month
Average monthly rent as a % of average single monthly earning
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Daniel is a financial journalist at MoneyWeek, writing about personal finance, economics, property, politics, and investing.
He covers savings, political news and enjoys translating economic data into simple English, and explaining what it means for your wallet.
Daniel joined MoneyWeek in January 2025 and previously worked at The Economist in their Audience team. He read history at Emmanuel College, Cambridge and edited Cambridge's student newspaper, Varsity.
In his free time, he likes reading, walking around Hampstead Heath, and cooking overambitious meals.
