UK’s most affordable city for single people named — and it’s not London

As all single people know too well, it’s expensive to be riding solo. You’re expected to pay a full hotel room rate at weddings while your coupled-up friends get in at a cheaper rate, you’ve no one to split your weekly shop with, and you’re fronting 100% of your living costs (despite the fact that the council tax discount for people living alone is still only 25%). But now, if you’re in the market to buy and want to stretch your pennies a little further, the most affordable UK city for single people has been named – and it’s Aberdeen.

Here, new data shows that the median value between a one and two-bedroom home is £119,350, while the median monthly pay (gross) is £3,280, as of November 2024. Monthly mortgage repayments were placed at £510 per month in accordance with the average deposit in the region, giving an annual value-to-earnings ratio of 3.0 – which isn’t too shabby. But it’s not just Aberdeen that’s increasingly affordable for single people: if you’re looking for your perfect homely match in England, the vibrant city of Liverpool comes out on top (and in second place across Britain overall).

The median value of a 1-2 bedroom home might be slightly more expensive than Scotland’s Silver City at £130,800, but as per Zoopla’s figures, the typical monthly pay here is £2,980. Assuming mortgage repayments of £540 per month, this gives it an overall score of 3.7. And it seems that Scotland is clearly the place to be if you’re flying solo, as here, the annual value-to-earnings ratio even out at 4.1.

The median value between a 1 and 2-bedroom home is £152,270 and the typical mortgage payment is £650, which when compared with a median monthly pay of £3,100, leaves £2,450 left over for everything else. Wondering what the situation is further south? Over the last year, various cities, including Bristol, Oxford, Portsmouth and Cambridge, have seen their affordability improve. House prices in southern England might’ve risen by just shy of 1.5%, but earnings have grown by an average of 5.6%, which has done bits for affordability in certain places.

Though Bristol doesn’t by any means touch the affordability of Aberdeen for single people specifically, it has seen the most improvement over the last year, with a median value of £302,570 and a monthly mortgage repayment of £1,210, when compared with a typical monthly pay of £3,350. And, dare we whisper, is anything improving in London? Naturally, the Big Smoke is absolutely notorious for being incredibly expensive. Merely set foot outside the house and you’ll set yourself back £20.

Even in the most affordable London borough (Havering), single Londoners will need to set aside £1,090 each and every month for their mortgage repayment. The median value between a one and two-bedroom home comes in at £306,480 here, while the monthly pay racks up to £3,850, giving an annual value-to-earnings ratio of 6.6. Speaking of London boroughs, if you’ve ever found yourself wondering how much you actually need to earn to buy a house in every single one, the maths on that is also now in.

As per another recent study from Zoopla, it’ll come as no surprise that the area requiring the highest salary is the bougie Kensington and Chelsea at £214,750. The one-stop-shop that makes designing and fitting your new bathroom so easy…. This towers over the UK average (£37,430, according to the Office For National Statistics), marking a staggering difference of £177,320. Aberdeen, Scotland (median value of 1 and 2-bed home: £119,350, median monthly pay: £3,280, monthly mortgage repayment: £510, annual value to earnings ratio: 3.0).

Liverpool (£130,800, £2,980, £540, 3.7). Glasgow (£152,270, £3,100, £650, 4.1). Sheffield (£156,990, £3,140, £640, 4.2). Newcastle (£150,360, £2,990, £640, 4.2). Leeds (£178,020, £3,130, £730, 4.8). Cardiff (£198,920, £3,150, £830, 5.3). Nottingham (£162,830, £2,580, £660, 5.3). Birmingham (£188,240, £2,900, £770, 5.4). Southampton (£194,260, £2,970, £750, 5.5). Do you have a story to share?.

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