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

Residential projects remain under pressure

Infrastructure keeps UK construction moving through a sluggish spell Residential and non-residential projects remain under pressure, while infrastructure and utilities work give the industry a much-needed lift The value of underlying work starting on-site during the latest three months declined 2% and stood 18% below last year’s levels. Residential construction starts fell 8% against the…
Read More →
Breaking News

Homebuyers hold tight ahead of Autumn Budget

but should they wait to make their move?   The latest research from Yopa has revealed that mortgage market activity has reversed in recent months, with approvals falling at an average monthly rate of 3.9% over the last four months, having previously increased by an average of 1.5% per month over the previous four months, suggesting…
Read More →
Breaking News

House price growth accelerates in Q2

The latest Property Market Index Review by London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has revealed that the property market continued to build momentum during the second quarter of 2026, with UK house prices increasing by 1.1%, while London recorded a second consecutive quarter of positive growth.   The Benham and Reeves Market Index Review…
Read More →
Breaking News

House prices hold steady despite impact of higher interest rates

House prices were unchanged in September (0.0%), following a -0.3% fall in August The average property price is now £298,441, compared to £298,395 in August Prices were also unchanged annually (0.0%) compared with September last year Northern Ireland continues to lead UK annual growth, at +7.4% Latest first-time buyer prices reveal what a 2.5% deposit…
Read More →
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 5/10/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X. Architect-founded KnowYourNest brings property scores into the home search, with a free 1–10 score and full KnowYourNest reports from £9.95 By Author Andrew Stanton CEO Proptech-PR NestLink today launches free NestScore checks and KnowYourNest property intelligence reports for buyers and homeowners across England and Wales.…
Read More →
Breaking News

Gap between house prices and earnings narrows

Gap between house prices and earnings narrows – but higher borrowing costs limit affordability gains UK’s house price to income ratio falls from 7.6 to 7.3, an 11-year low, as earnings continue to outpace house price growth For first-time buyers, homes now cost less than six times earnings, falling from 6.1 to 5.9 However, monthly…
Read More →