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

Breaking Property News 16/7/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   The Housing Market Does Not Need Saving: It Needs De-Risking   Thought leadership by Olivier Jauniaux, Founder of NestLink   “Everything starts with a good home,” Andy Burnham told a hall full of highly hopeful supporters at the People’s History Museum in Manchester in June 2026, in the…
Read More
Breaking News

Why the postcode can make a big difference to your rebuild costs

93% of UK properties are insured for the wrong amount, according to research by RebuildCostASSESSMENT.com. The regional breakdown behind this figure shows why location still matters when calculating rebuild values. National figures demonstrate the scale of the issue and regional data helps show where inaccurate sums insured are more common. “Two similar properties in different…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

New record rents as rental supply falls for first time since 2022

The average advertised rent of homes outside London has risen by 1.9% this quarter to a new record of £1,397 per calendar month, the first quarterly rent record since Q3 2025: The average advertised rents outside London is now 2.3% higher than a year ago, an increase from 1.6% last quarter London also reaches a…
Read More
Breaking News

Our predictions for the property market in the second half of 2026

Allison Thompson, Chief Lettings Officer, Leaders part of LRG. There is a lot going on right now that’s impacting the property market, both in terms of direct legislation and the wider economy: Global conflicts affecting consumer confidence and interest rates Ongoing cost of living issues challenging affordability for homeowners and renters The recent introduction of…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 14/7/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   REVIEW: The Future of Real Estate Education: From Pedagogy to Technology Author Mr. Hugh Kelly, Ph.D., CRE Emeritus   Edited by Karen M. McGrath, Elaine M. Worzala, and Pernille H. Christensen. (Routledge, New York and London, 2026). 330 pp. ISBN 9781032625041. Paperback $70.99; hardcover $170.00; ebook…
Read More
Breaking News

Why 2026 is redefining responsibility in the private rented sector

The landlord rulebook has changed  Insurance experts warn that understanding where landlord obligations end and tenant responsibilities begin has never been more important, following the biggest legislative shake-up of the rental market in a generation. The implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act on 1st May 2026 has transformed the relationship between landlords and tenants, introducing…
Read More