A lower city-wide rent can make a move look attractive, but the number only becomes useful when it is connected to the home and lifestyle you actually need. Renters comparing locations should build a household budget rather than choose from a league table alone.
A dated comparison
Rightmove’s guide, updated on 31 July 2026, lists average monthly rents for May 2026. Hull appears at £802, Carlisle at £843, Sunderland at £872 and Stoke-on-Trent at £874. These replace the August 2024 figures in our archive article.
The figures are attributed to Rightmove and should not be read as rents available for every property, a room-only price or a guarantee about today’s listings. City averages combine homes that may differ considerably in size, location and condition. A different source or mix of properties can produce a different comparison.
Build your own shortlist
Start with the essentials: bedrooms, accessibility, travel to work or study, and any other location requirements. Search for homes meeting those needs in each shortlisted area. Record the date, advertised rent and what is included so that the comparison does not drift between unlike properties.
Next add travel, utilities and other regular household costs. A cheaper rent may leave less money available if commuting becomes substantially more expensive. Equally, a home close to daily commitments might reduce transport costs even if its rent is higher. Work with your actual circumstances rather than a national assumption.
Allow for the move itself
Before deciding, identify deposits, moving costs and any overlap between homes. Check the applicable tenancy rules for the UK nation concerned. Scotland, Wales and England should not be treated as one identical legal system simply because they appear in the same price table.
Visit the neighbourhood and assess the particular property. Check access, condition and the practical journey at the times you will use it. An average cannot reveal those details.
This is a refreshed renter-planning article, checked on 5 November 2026. It uses a limited selection from Rightmove’s dated comparison, not an independently verified ranking of every UK city or a forecast of future rents.