Which UK city is top Trump?

This press release contains no presidential suits, blonde wigs or fake tan we’re afraid. Leading room share platform, ideal flatmate, has reproduced their own version of the classic card game, Top Trumps, pitting UK cities head to head on a range of criteria that appeal or relate to those living in room shares across the UK.

ideal flatmate took 22 major UK cities and looked at how they compared when it came to: –

  • The average rent for a room in that city.
  • The average take-home salary after tax.
  • The cost of a pint, although other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are available.
  • The cost of a meal out for two people.
  • The cost of a gym membership.
  • The percentage of singles in the city.

The cities included are: –

  • London, Belfast, Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Southampton and Swansea.

You can see some of the best for each category below but you can also see them all at: https://www.idealflatmate.co.uk/flatmate-HQ/which-uk-city-is-top-trump/ 

For your city or any others in a high-res format please get in touch.

When it comes to scoring, it’s pretty straight forward.

The lower the rent, the cost of a pint, the cost of a meal and the cost of a gym membership the better. The higher the salary and the percentage of singles, the better. Easy.

So, Belfast comes out top when it comes to the cost of renting a room in the city, while London is predictably home to the highest room rental cost, although it does trump the rest where salary is concerned.

Sheffield and Liverpool tie for the honour of cheapest pint, while Manchester is home to the highest number of single people within its population and Swansea boasts the cheapest gym membership costs.

Tom Gatzen, co-founder of ideal flatmate, commented:

“As we’ve launched the ideal flatmate platform across more and more cities in the UK we wanted to do something to celebrate the diversity of these cities and we wanted to do it in a way that wouldn’t just focus on one aspect, but a number of areas that we know are important to those that rent rooms.

Everyone likes to show their hometown pride and what better way to do it then going head to head with other major UK cities.”  

Location
Average Room Rent
Average Monthly Salary
Average Cost of a Pint
Average Meal for Two
Average  Gym Membership
Singles %
Aberdeen
£266
£1,852
£3.60
£56
£34
42.70%
Belfast
£270
£1,566
£4.00
£40
£24
46.60%
Swansea
£286
£1,675
£3.50
£48
£21
36.70%
Newcastle
£350
£1,661
£3.50
£40
£23
46.50%
Birmingham
£364
£1,661
£3.62
£50
£22
41.60%
Cardiff
£399
£1,780
£3.50
£40
£24
45.00%
Plymouth
£401
£1,654
£3.50
£45
£28
37.10%
Nottingham
£412
£1,448
£3.15
£40
£26
51.30%
Sheffield
£428
£1,675
£3.00
£40
£26
41.20%
Liverpool
£438
£1,803
£3.00
£40
£25
49.70%
Leicester
£441
£1,727
£3.50
£45
£28
41.50%
Manchester
£464
£1,750
£4.00
£50
£25
54.90%
Portsmouth
£515
£1,585
£4.00
£45
£25
43.50%
Edinburgh
£525
£1,922
£4.00
£58
£32
45.30%
Bristol
£534
£2,032
£4.20
£50
£33
47.00%
Oxford
£544
£1,816
£4.00
£50
£35
53.80%
Southampton
£546
£2,070
£3.50
£40
£25
45.30%
Leeds
£548
£1,918
£3.50
£40
£26
40.80%
Cambridge
£562
£1,885
£4.00
£50
£34
52.60%
Bournemouth
£575
£1,635
£3.75
£45
£32
40.80%
Glasgow
£588
£1,729
£3.50
£50
£24
49.20%
London
£745
£2,305
£5.00
£63
£43
44.10%

 

Properganda PR

National and local media coverage for property businesses. Journo quotes delivered in minutes.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Propertymark New Builds Pricing Report – Summer/Autunm 2025

Average house prices for new instructions regarding newbuild properties being marketed in the South West have dropped by £33,120 when compared to a year previously in October 2024, according to data from by Propertymark.  Additionally, Yorkshire and Humberside saw a £33,104 drop during the same period for average house prices for instructions relating to newbuild houses.  Throughout the entire…
Read More
Breaking News

How much should landlords earmark for maintenance?

Landlords should earmark a quarter of rental income for maintenance and repairs As the Renters’ Rights Bill is passed into law, increasing the demands and expectations of landlords – not least when it comes to the proper upkeep of their properties – new research from Adiuvo, the UK’s leading provider of 24/7 property management support,…
Read More
Planning disputes on new build land
Breaking News

Developers lose confidence ahead of Autumn Budget

Jonathan Samuels, CEO of Octane Capital, believes that growing uncertainty surrounding the Autumn Budget has left many developers hesitant to progress new housing projects, with confidence falling sharply as fears of new property taxes, rising costs, and ongoing planning challenges weigh heavily on the sector. The latest survey of UK property developers, commissioned by specialist…
Read More
Breaking News

Could the Autumn Budget dent property values?

Autumn Budget uncertainty could see house prices continue to fall The latest research by nationwide cash buying company and quick sale specialists, Springbok Properties, has found that those looking to sell could see the value of their home fall over the remainder of the year, as historic data shows that major fiscal events such as…
Read More
bricks rubble
Breaking News

Westminster Debate Highlights Urgent Need to Tackle Rogue Builders

A Westminster Hall debate yesterday, led by Mark Garnier MP, brought MPs from across the political spectrum together to address the growing problem of rogue builders. The discussion highlighted shocking cases of homeowners losing thousands of pounds, unsafe work being carried out, and rogue traders repeatedly evading justice by exploiting loopholes in the current system.…
Read More
Breaking News

Ombudsman welcomes Renters’ Rights Act implementation roadmap

The Property Ombudsman welcomed the Government’s roadmap for the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 that sets out how the legislation will be implemented. The Government’s announcement today (14 November) follows the Property Ombudsman’s Consumer and Industry Forum on 12 November where Stephanie Kvam, Deputy Director – Private Rented Sector at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and…
Read More