London
London

The Top 20 Cities For Young People

If you’re thinking about where to go for uni or where to move after uni, here’s everything you need to consider.

With the cost of living crisis, cities across the UK have seen a steep increase in the costs of renting, dining out, public transport, and more. This can be super challenging for young people who are trying to decide where to live and work, as the unpredictable costs of living can have a huge impact on your overall happiness.

Luckily, thanks to new research from Comparethemarket, it’s easier than ever to see the top cities for young people in the UK based on the number of jobs available, the number of pubs, the cost of renting, and much more!

The top 20 cities for young adults in the UK

1. Nottingham

Percentage of total population aged 18-30: 28.23%

Number of jobs listed: 2,719

Cost of a monthly transportation pass: £60

Average cost of a meal: £12

Number of bars and pubs: 119

Average cost of rent per month: £765

Overall happiness score: 7.20

2. Southampton

Percentage of total population aged 18-30: 23.63%

Number of jobs listed: 1,038

Cost of a monthly transportation pass: £55

Average cost of a meal: £11.47

Number of bars and pubs: 95

Average cost of rent per month: £805

Overall happiness score: 7.40

3. Coventry

Percentage of total population aged 18-30: 21.03%

Number of jobs listed: 995

Cost of a monthly transportation pass: £50

Average cost of a meal: £10

Number of bars and pubs: 64

Average cost of rent per month: £537.50

Overall happiness score: 7.41

4. Newcastle upon Tyne

Percentage of total population aged 18-30: 25.69%

Number of jobs listed: 1,360

Cost of a monthly transportation pass: £72

Average cost of a meal: £14

Number of bars and pubs: 120

Average cost of rent per month: £784.50

Overall happiness score: 7.49

Newcastle

5. Bradford

Percentage of total population aged 18-30: 16.30%

Number of jobs listed: 640

Cost of a monthly transportation pass: £57.40

Average cost of a meal: £10

Number of bars and pubs: 182

Average cost of rent per month: £537.50

Overall happiness score: 7.49

6. Plymouth

Percentage of total population aged 18-30: 18.82%

Number of jobs listed: 727

Cost of a monthly transportation pass: £55

Average cost of a meal: £10

Number of bars and pubs: 27

Average cost of rent per month: £760

Overall happiness score: 7.53

6. Luton

Percentage of total population aged 18-30: 18.20%

Number of jobs listed: 465

Cost of a monthly transportation pass: £63

Average cost of a meal: £12

Number of bars and pubs: 72

Average cost of rent: £750

Overall happiness score: 7.74

7. Kingston upon Hull

Percentage of total population aged 18-30: 18.60%

Number of jobs listed: 779

Cost of a monthly transportation pass: £56.52

Average cost of a meal: £10.50

Number of bars and pubs: 43

Average cost of rent per month: £452.50

Overall happiness score: 7.38

8. Birmingham

Percentage of total population aged 18-30: 20.05%

Number of jobs listed: 3,205

Cost of a monthly transportation pass: £57.50

Average cost of a meal: £11.20

Number of bars and pubs: 200

Average cost of rent per month: £807.12

Overall happiness score: 7.32

birmingham

9. Sheffield

Percentage of total population aged 18-30: 20.91%

Number of jobs listed: 1,260

Cost of a monthly transportation pass: £73.91

Average cost of a meal: £11

Number of bars and pubs: 103

Average cost of rent per month: £702.78

Overall happiness score: 7.45

10. Middlesbrough

Percentage of total population aged 18-30: 17.70%

Number of jobs listed: 571

Cost of a monthly transportation pass: £62.50

Average cost of a meal: £10

Number of bars and pubs: 49

Average cost of rent per month: £475

Overall happiness score: 7.41

11. Manchester

Percentage of total population aged 18-30: 26.35%

Number of jobs listed: 3,433

Cost of a monthly transportation pass: £70

Average cost of a meal: £15

Number of bars and pubs: 240

Average cost of rent per month: £917.59

Overall happiness score: 7.26

Manchester

11. Bolton

Percentage of total population aged 18-30: 15.19%

Number of jobs listed: 598

Cost of a monthly transportation pass: £65.96

Average cost of a meal: £10

Number of bars and pubs: 188

Average cost of rent per month: £550

Overall happiness score: 7.52

12. Leicester

Percentage of total population aged 18-30: 21.98%

Number of jobs listed: 1,437

Cost of a monthly transportation pass: £54

Average cost of a meal: £14

Number of bars and pubs: 55

Average cost of rent per month: £750

Overall happiness score: 7.41

13. Stoke-on-Trent

Percentage of total population aged 18-30: 16.84%

Number of jobs listed: 863

Cost of a monthly transportation pass: £65

Average cost of a meal: £12

Number of bars and pubs: 33

Average cost of rent per month: £550

Overall happiness score: 7.59

14. Swansea

Percentage of total population aged 18-30: 17.72%

Number of jobs listed: 863

Cost of a monthly transportation pass: £15.74

Average cost of a meal: £12

Number of bars and pubs: 34

Average cost of rent per month: £617.50

Overall happiness score: 7.51

15. London

Percentage of total population aged 18-30: 19.58%

Number of jobs listed: 21,507

Cost of a monthly transportation pass: £150

Average cost of a meal: £15

Number of bars and pubs: 1,206

Average cost of rent per month: £2004.44

Overall happiness score: 7.45

London

16. Portsmouth

Percentage of total population aged 18-30: 21.90%

Number of jobs listed: 604

Cost of a monthly transportation pass: £62.61

Average cost of a meal: £12

Number of bars and pubs: 53

Average cost of rent per month: £726.67

Overall happiness score: 7.53

17. Leeds

Percentage of total population aged 18-30: 20.47%

Number of jobs listed: 2,447

Cost of a monthly transportation pass: £75

Average cost of a meal: £12

Number of bars and pubs: 165

Average cost of rent per month: £805.56

Overall happiness score: 7.35

Leeds

18. Cardiff

Percentage of total population aged 18-30: 23.44%

Number of jobs listed: 1,014

Cost of a monthly transportation pass: £53

Average cost of a meal: £14

Number of bars and pubs: 57

Average cost of rent per month: £782.31

Overall happiness score: 7.21

19. Aberdeen

Percentage of total population aged 18-30: 19.58%

Number of jobs listed: 442

Cost of a monthly transportation pass: £91.30

Average cost of a meal: £12

Number of bars and pubs: 65

Average cost of rent per month: £552.43

Overall happiness score: 7.47

20. Peterborough

Percentage of total population aged 18-30: 16.08%

Number of jobs listed: 873

Cost of a monthly transportation pass: £65.22

Average cost of a meal: £9

Number of bars and pubs: 18

Average cost of rent per month: £536.67

Overall happiness score: 7.26

Which city is best for me?

Well, this depends on what’s most important to you! While Kingston-upon-Hull, Middlesbrough, Peterborough, and Bradford are the cheapest cities to rent, the more expensive cities such as London, Manchester, and Birmingham have more job prospects and the chance of a more active social scene.

While many graduates find jobs in London after uni, the high rent and rising living costs could impact your overall happiness. If you’re struggling to afford your bills and can’t enjoy a social life due to having no money left after paying your rent, chances are moving to London probably isn’t worth it and there’s another city which could work better for you.

Hopefully, this data can help you to weigh up the choices and see which cities you could see yourself living in and can be a good start when it comes to seeing which areas of the country are affordable vs what’s unachievable for you.

You can read the rest of the research from Comparethemarket here.

Don’t forget to check out Student Beans for all of the best student discounts to help you save some money during the cost of living crisis.