Cost of living in Brighton and Hove
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Single: 1-bed home. Couple: 2-bed home. Family: 3-bed home with one child. Estimates use average local rent, Band D council tax, and standard figures for groceries, transport and childcare.
Brighton and Hove is expensive by any measure outside London. Average overall rent of £1,808/month, a one-bed averaging £1,189, and a single-person monthly basket of around £1,854 put it close to Bristol and well above most cities its size. Average earnings here are £33,506/year, close to the UK average of £33,344 and well below London's, which is part of why the affordability score lands at 72.5% (rank #334 of 348). The maths is a stretch for anyone on a local-only salary. Two things explain the demand: the seafront-and-Lanes lifestyle that has made the city a magnet for creative and lifestyle industries, and the 1hr direct train into London Victoria that makes it effectively a long-distance commuter town for many residents. Universities of Sussex and Brighton between them add around 40,000 students. Honest downsides: many local jobs do not match London salaries even though the cost base has drifted toward London levels. Housing supply is tight thanks to the geography (sea, downs, conservation areas), parking is a daily hassle, and the social fabric of the city changes character noticeably between term time and summer.
- Known for:
- Beach and Lanes, the Pavilion, the LGBTQ+ capital of the UK, two universities, and one of the strongest independent food and music scenes outside London.
- Transport:
- Direct trains to London Victoria take about 1hr; London Bridge takes about 1hr 5min. Local buses are run by Brighton & Hove Buses. Limited driving and parking infrastructure relative to demand.
- Character:
- Coastal, hilly, creative, and lively. The economy leans on tourism, hospitality, tech, and creative industries, with London commuting as the high-paid backstop for many residents.
Rent in Brighton and Hove
The average monthly rent in Brighton and Hove is £1,808.
Source: ONS Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR)
Earnings in Brighton and Hove
The average annual salary for residents of Brighton and Hove is £33,506.
The average salary is the middle value: half of residents earn more and half earn less. The mean salary adds up everyone's pay and divides it by the number of people, so a few very high earners pull it up. We use the middle value as the average throughout this site.
Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE)
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Average house prices in Brighton and Hove
The average house price in Brighton and Hove was £415,000.
How house prices have changed in Brighton and Hove
Average house prices over time, based on quarterly rolling-year averages from Land Registry data.
Source: ONS / HM Land Registry. Historical trend based on quarterly rolling-year average prices.
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Climate and weather in Brighton and Hove
Summer daytime highs in Brighton and Hove typically reach 21.1°C in July, dropping to around 7.8°C in January. Brighton and Hove is much drier than average for the UK, with rain falling on about 2.3 days a week. It gets around 26% less rainfall than the UK average. The area is sunnier than most of the UK, averaging around 7.3 hours of sunshine per day in summer. Expect frost on around 60 days per year, mostly between November and March.
| Month | Daytime high | Rainfall | Rain days | Sunshine | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.8°C | 93mm | 13 | 59h | 12 |
| Feb | 8.0°C | 65mm | 10 | 82h | 12 |
| Mar | 10.2°C | 53mm | 9 | 128h | 10 |
| Apr | 13.2°C | 49mm | 9 | 187h | 5 |
| May | 16.3°C | 49mm | 8 | 221h | 1 |
| Jun | 19.1°C | 55mm | 8 | 222h | 0 |
| Jul | 21.1°C | 57mm | 8 | 233h | 0 |
| Aug | 21.0°C | 65mm | 9 | 213h | 0 |
| Sep | 18.8°C | 63mm | 9 | 160h | 0 |
| Oct | 15.3°C | 98mm | 12 | 117h | 2 |
| Nov | 11.2°C | 106mm | 13 | 71h | 7 |
| Dec | 8.5°C | 103mm | 13 | 54h | 11 |
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How this is calculated
Climate data is based on Met Office 30-year averages (1991-2020), calculated from 3 observation grid points covering the Brighton and Hove local authority area.
Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid , 1991-2020 averages. Crown copyright. Open Government Licence v3.0.
Council tax in Brighton and Hove
Band D council tax in Brighton and Hove is £2,581 per year.
Source: MHCLG / Scottish Government / Welsh Government
Energy costs in Brighton and Hove
A typical household in Brighton and Hove pays approximately £1,723/year (£144/month) for gas and electricity.
Energy region: South East
This estimate is based on the Ofgem price cap for a typical dual-fuel household using 2,700 kWh of electricity and 11,500 kWh of gas per year, paying by Direct Debit. Your actual costs will depend on your usage, tariff, and whether you're on a fixed deal.
Source: Ofgem Energy Price Cap, Q4 2026
Water costs in Brighton and Hove
The average annual water and sewerage bill for Southern Water customers is £720/year (£60/month).
Water company: Southern Water
Water bills vary based on whether you have a meter and your household's water usage. This figure is the company average for unmetered customers.
Source: Water UK / Discover Water, 2026-27
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Broadband in Brighton and Hove
Brighton and Hove has 58.9% full fibre coverage and 85.4% gigabit-capable coverage across residential premises.
Full fibre take-up: 26% of premises with full fibre available have taken it up.
"Gigabit-capable" means a connection of 1 Gbit/s or faster is available at the premises (full fibre or upgraded cable). "Full fibre" is fibre-to-the-premises specifically. "No decent broadband" counts premises below the 10 Mbit/s down / 1 Mbit/s up Universal Service Obligation.
See all UK areas ranked by broadband coverage →
Source: Ofcom Connected Nations 2025, July 2025
Schools in Brighton and Hove
Brighton and Hove has 64 schools, with 84% rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted.
48 primary schools, 10 secondary schools, 6 special / nursery / alternative provision. Approximately 30,486 pupils across all schools.
5 schools have been inspected under Ofsted's renewed framework (November 2025 onwards) and are not included in the percentage above.
Ofsted grades reflect the school's most recent inspection: Outstanding means the school is exceptional across the evaluation areas, Good means it is effective, Requires Improvement means it is not yet good enough, and Inadequate means serious concerns were found.
See all areas ranked by school ratings →
Source: Ofsted, most recent inspections as at March 2026. England only; Scotland (Education Scotland) and Wales (Estyn) use separate frameworks.
Crime in Brighton and Hove
There were 997 recorded crimes per 10,000 people in Brighton and Hove, which is above the England and Wales average of 837. Brighton and Hove ranks #253 out of 303 areas for lowest crime rate.
Recorded crime statistics reflect crimes reported to and recorded by police. They may not capture the full picture of crime in an area, and recording practices vary between forces.
Source: Home Office police recorded crime, Year ending March 2026
Compare Brighton and Hove with another area
How does Brighton and Hove compare?
Side-by-side comparisons against three other UK areas, using the same single-person basket as the rest of the site.
Bristol costs around £53/month more than Brighton and Hove on the same basket (£1,907/month vs £1,854/month).
See the full comparison → Brighton and Hove vs LondonLondon costs around £511/month more than Brighton and Hove on the same basket (£2,365/month vs £1,854/month).
See the full comparison → Brighton and Hove vs WorthingWorthing costs around £306/month less than Brighton and Hove on the same basket (£1,548/month vs £1,854/month).
See the full comparison →Or compare Brighton and Hove with any UK area using the comparison tool.
Nearby areas
Explore the cost of living in areas close to Brighton and Hove.