The European cities from Paris to Stockholm where it’s now over £2k a year cheaper to live than UK… and not just London

MOVING to a European city like Stockholm or Paris could actually leave you BETTER OFF, data suggests. These capital cities certainly aren’t known for their low prices – but new analysis from bunq reveals they have cheaper living costs than some areas of the UK. Stockholm, Sweden, where the cost of living is cheaper than in Bristol Credit: Getty Paris is cheaper to live in than British cities including London, Bristol and Brighton Credit: Getty Bunq’s 2026 Working Abroad Index looked at key cost of living factors including rent, groceries, utilities, mobile and broadband, and public transportation across major cities. It found that Stockholm, Paris, Berlin and Frankfurt all had cheaper living costs than London, Bristol and Brighton. Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! Unsurprisingly, London had the most expensive living costs out of all European cities at £2,810 a month. Dublin was the second most expensive at £2,397 per month. Meanwhile Bristol ranked as the seventh most expensive at £1,908 per month, while Brighton came in at ninth at £1,890. The four British and Irish cities are all more expensive than Stockholm (£1,769), Paris (£1,719), Berlin (£1,674) and Frankfurt (£1,618). It means a Bristol resident who moved to Paris would be a whopping £2,265 a year better off. Meanwhile a move from Brighton to Berlin would save about £2,564. Most read in Money Other cities in the UK worked out a little cheaper. Edinburgh costs around £1,723 per month while Manchester costs £1,720. The Christmas market in Berlin, Germany, where living costs are £1,674 a month Credit: Getty The German city of Frankfurt costs around £1,618 a month to live in Credit: Getty Cardiff came in at £1,431 per month and Belfast at £1,352. High rents in British cities have pushed their costs above European counterparts, bunq said. The average UK private rent increased by an estimated 3.3% in the 12 months to June this year, according to official figures. It costs an average of £1,287 a month in Bristol and £1,273 in Brighton. Renters in Paris pay around £1,058, while those in Berlin pay £965. It costs roughly £942 in Frankfurt, around £345 a month more than in Bristol. Joe Wilson, chief evangelist at bunq, says “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.” If you want the best value and you’re willing to look further out, the cheapest city on the index was Chiang Mai in Thailand. There, monthly living costs are just £519. You could also get cheaper living costs in Barcelona (£1,572), Lisbon (£1,513), Budapest (£1,017) or Valencia (£1,331). The most expensive cities ranked European cities London – £2,810 Bristol – £1,908 Brighton – £1,890 Edinburgh – £1,723 Manchester – £1,720 Cardiff – £1,431 Belfast – £1,352 UK cities London, UK – £2,810 Dublin, Ireland – £2,397 Amsterdam, Netherlands – £2,371 Luxembourg City, Luxembourg – £2,249 Copenhagen, Denmark – £1,987 Utrecht, Netherlands – £1,909 Bristol, UK – £1,908 Rotterdam, Netherlands – £1,894 Brighton, UK – £1,890 Munich, Germany – £1,818 Comment now