As someone who has lived in both Edinburgh and London, I like to think I have a pretty decent idea of both cities. The best chat? Edinburgh, hands down. Music scene? London. Scenery? Edinburgh. Food? It’s got to be London.
But if we really wanted to get into the nitty and gritty, it’s no secret that living in London isn’t exactly the breeziest. According to a recent study by Totaljobs, Edinburgh has the best quality of life in the country – ranking number one for work-life balance, happiness, access to affordable housing and short commute times (an average of 29 minutes).
The Scottish capital has an average property price of £337,506 – compared with London’s £553,000 – and also ranked high when it came to healthcare accessibility and air quality, earning it an overall score of 8.2 in the quality of life index.
Plymouth came in at number two, with transport costing an average of just £55.50 per month and the average house price only £241,257. Fellow Scottish city Glasgow came in at number three, receiving one of the lowest cost of living scores and one of the best healthcare accessibility scores on the list.
London scored only 5.1 overall, with the average rental price for a flat £1,832 per month (eek) and childcare costs £1,558.26 per month. Transport will set you back a further £160 per month, which is a big price to pay for scorching hot commutes sardined next to strangers.
Here’s the full ranking of the British cities with the best quality of life, according to Totaljobs:
1. Edinburgh
2. Plymouth
3. Glasgow
4. Cardiff, Newcastle, Nottingham, Portsmouth, Sheffield
5. Bristol
6. Leeds
7. Liverpool
8. Belfast, Birmingham
9. Manchester
10. London
ICYMI: This city officially has the best nightlife in the UK.
Plus: It’s now legal to swim in one of England’s prettiest harbours.