Bristol and Brighton now cost more to live in than Paris and Stockholm

See more This is Money on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Updated: 05:24 EDT, 4 September 2026 Two British cities have become so expensive they are not only snapping at London’s heels, but have also surpassed four European hotspots.The 2026 Working Abroad Index from app-based bank, Bunq, compared the cost of rent, groceries, utilities, mobile and broadband and public transportation across 75 global cities.Bristol ranked as the seventh most expensive European city in the index, with monthly living costs of £1,908, while Brighton ranked ninth at £1,890.Both were more expensive than capital cities Stockholm (£1,769) and Paris (£1,719) as well as Germany's commercial centre Frankfurt (£1,618).A Bristol resident who relocated to Paris would be roughly £2,265 a year better off, and a move from Brighton to Berlin would save about £2,564. Bristol is more expensive to live in than Paris or Stockholm, a new index has shown Londn was the most expensive European city in the index, with average monthly costs of £2,819. Worldwide only New York, San Francisco and Boston had higher living costs. Utility costs were based on an 85 sq m apartment, while public transport costs were taken from official websites with no discounts or special fares applied. Joe Wilson of 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 favorites aren't it anymore; the real value lies further afield.' MOST EXPENSIVE CITIES IN THE WORLD City Country Total costs (£) New York City US 3,487.23 San Francisco US 3,223.01 Boston US 3,010.46 London UK 2,818.77 Los Angeles US 2,574.89 Miami US 2,557.09 Washington DC US 2,542.32 Seattle US 2,480.52 Singapore Singapore 2,420.84 Dublin Ireland 2,404.41 Amsterdam The Netherlands 2,378.82 Luxembourg Luxembourg 2,256.08 Chicago US 2,186.56 Copenhagen Denmark 1,993.46 Atlanta US 1,982.72 Dubai UAE 1,974.31 Nashville US 1,925.01 Utrecht The Netherlands 1,915.07 Bristol UK 1,913.96 Rotterdam The Netherlands 1,899.76 Brighton UK 1,895.55 Munich Germany 1,823.34 Vancouver Canada 1,811.97 RentBunq said rent costs made the biggest impact on where a city placed on the index. The average rents were based on the costs of a one-bed apartment, taking an average of those inside and outside the city centre. Rent alone accounts for £1,967 of the cost of living in London, with public transport adding £247. It costs over a thousand pounds more per month to rent in London than in Rome.In terms of the cities with the cheapest rents, Ljubljana in Slovenia was the cheapest in the top 50 at £734 per month. SAVE MONEY, MAKE MONEYUp to £250 cashbackUp to £250 cashback2.5% cashback when investing at least £2004.61% cash Isa4.61% cash IsaTrading 212: 1.01% fixed 12-month bonus£3,000 cashback£3,000 cashback£100-£3,000 cashback when opening SippUp to £150 cashbackUp to £150 cashbackOpen a savings account with at least £5,000Welcome bonusWelcome bonusGet up to £200 when you invest £100Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence. Terms and conditions apply on all offers.