Bristol & Brighton cost more than Paris, says bunq

bunq has published research showing that Bristol and Brighton now cost more to live in than Paris, Stockholm, Berlin and Frankfurt, while London remains Europe's most expensive city.

The digital bank's 2026 Working Abroad Index compared living costs across 75 cities, using rent, groceries, utilities, mobile and broadband bills, and public transport. Bristol ranked seventh in Europe with monthly living costs of £1,908, while Brighton ranked ninth at £1,890.

Both were above Stockholm at £1,769, Paris at £1,719, Berlin at £1,674 and Frankfurt at £1,618. The figures suggest that someone moving from Bristol to Paris would be about £2,265 better off over a year, while a move from Brighton to Berlin would cut annual costs by roughly £2,564.

Rent pressure

The gap is driven largely by housing costs. Average monthly rent was put at £1,287 in Bristol and £1,273 in Brighton, compared with £1,058 in Paris, £965 in Berlin and £942 in Frankfurt.

That means a renter in Bristol pays about £345 a month more than a renter in Frankfurt. Rent accounts for 67% of monthly living costs in Bristol and Brighton, compared with 62% in Paris and 58% in Berlin and Frankfurt.

The data points to a wider pattern across Britain's larger urban centres. Edinburgh, with monthly living costs of £1,723, and Manchester, at £1,720, also ranked above Frankfurt.

Within the UK, Cardiff and Belfast were markedly cheaper. Cardiff's monthly living costs were estimated at £1,431 and Belfast's at £1,352.

London gap

London topped both the UK and European rankings with monthly living costs of £2,810. Rent alone accounted for £1,967, while public transport added £247.

This put the capital ahead of Dublin at £2,397 in second place in Europe. London also ranked fourth globally behind New York, San Francisco and Boston, according to bunq.

The figures also showed the scale of the gap with lower-cost destinations outside Europe. One month of living costs in London would cover more than five months in Chiang Mai, where monthly living costs were put at £519.

The findings come as private rents in the UK continue to climb. Official figures for July showed average monthly private rent rose by an estimated 3.3% in the 12 months to June 2026.

Joe Wilson, Chief Evangelist at bunq, said: "London being the most expensive city in Europe may not come as a surprise. It's that Brighton and Bristol, the cities remote workers flock to for a cheaper, laid-back alternative, now cost more than other capitals and banking hubs. If UK remote or hybrid workers want genuine savings, these usual southern favourites aren't it anymore; the real value lies further afield."

The index reflects the economics facing workers who can choose where to live while keeping their jobs. It suggests that some British cities seen as alternatives to London now carry costs closer to major international business centres than to lower-cost regional markets.

This is particularly notable in Bristol and Brighton, which have long drawn professionals looking for a balance of access to jobs, cultural appeal and lower housing costs than the capital. The latest ranking suggests that advantage has narrowed sharply, not just against London but also against several large cities on the continent.

Groceries, energy and broadband remained cheaper in the UK cities than in some European peers, according to the research. Even so, those lower costs were not enough to offset rent levels.

Wilson said: "Our users are digital nomads who see the world as their oyster, so our index is designed to show people how far their money will go in different destinations as they live, work and make some room for play too."