Cost of living in Bristol
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.
Bristol is one of the more expensive UK cities outside London, and the data reflects it. Average overall rent of £1,883/month and a single-person monthly basket of around £1,907 put it well above Cardiff, Manchester, or Birmingham. The affordability score is 74.3%, ranking Bristol #338 of 348 UK areas: among the least affordable on the list. Average earnings of £34,051/year are higher than most northern cities but lag behind London, which means the rent picture genuinely stretches local pay. The economy explains a lot of the demand: aerospace around Filton (Airbus, Rolls-Royce, GKN), a long-established tech sector with strong digital and animation studios, financial services, and BBC Bristol. The two universities push the student population past 60,000. The harbour, hills, and creative culture have made Bristol one of the most-moved-to cities in the country over the past decade. Honest downsides: housing costs are a real stretch for anyone on the average local salary; the South West Water bill is notably above the UK average; and hills are not just a feature but a daily reality. Bristol's pull is undeniable but the maths needs to work for you.
- Known for:
- Aerospace and engineering cluster around Filton; a strong tech and animation industry; Banksy's home city; the Suspension Bridge and the harbourside.
- Transport:
- Temple Meads station gives trains to London Paddington in about 1hr 40min, Cardiff in 50 minutes, and Manchester in around 3hrs. M4 and M5 motorways meet just outside the city.
- Character:
- Hilly, harbour-centred, and creative. Genuinely independent food and music scenes, and one of the most ethnically diverse cities outside London. Cost of living is the persistent challenge.
Rent in Bristol
The average monthly rent in Bristol is £1,883.
Source: ONS Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR)
Earnings in Bristol
The average annual salary for residents of Bristol is £34,051.
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)
Got a job offer in Bristol?
Use our salary calculator to see your take home pay and how it compares to the local average.
Average house prices in Bristol
The average house price in Bristol was £348,750.
How house prices have changed in Bristol
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.
Buying in Bristol? Check a specific property
Get a free preview for any home: last sale price, EPC rating, flood risk, crime and more, checked at that exact address.
Climate and weather in Bristol
Summer daytime highs in Bristol typically reach 21.9°C in July, dropping to around 8.3°C in January. Bristol is much drier than average for the UK, with rain falling on about 2.7 days a week. It gets around 25% less rainfall than the UK average. The area is sunnier than most of the UK, averaging around 6.7 hours of sunshine per day in summer. Expect frost on around 76 days per year, mostly between November and April.
| Month | Daytime high | Rainfall | Rain days | Sunshine | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8.3°C | 89mm | 13 | 57h | 14 |
| Feb | 8.7°C | 65mm | 11 | 75h | 14 |
| Mar | 11.0°C | 58mm | 11 | 122h | 12 |
| Apr | 14.0°C | 56mm | 10 | 170h | 8 |
| May | 17.2°C | 60mm | 10 | 206h | 2 |
| Jun | 20.0°C | 62mm | 10 | 211h | 0 |
| Jul | 21.9°C | 64mm | 10 | 215h | 0 |
| Aug | 21.5°C | 76mm | 11 | 188h | 0 |
| Sep | 18.9°C | 63mm | 10 | 154h | 1 |
| Oct | 15.0°C | 88mm | 13 | 106h | 4 |
| Nov | 11.1°C | 94mm | 15 | 66h | 9 |
| Dec | 8.6°C | 96mm | 14 | 52h | 13 |
Swipe sideways to see every column
How this is calculated
Climate data is based on Met Office 30-year averages (1991-2020), calculated from 6 observation grid points covering the Bristol local authority area.
Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid , 1991-2020 averages. Crown copyright. Open Government Licence v3.0.
Council tax in Bristol
Band D council tax in Bristol is £2,714 per year.
Source: MHCLG / Scottish Government / Welsh Government
Energy costs in Bristol
A typical household in Bristol pays approximately £1,723/year (£144/month) for gas and electricity.
Energy region: South West
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 Bristol
The average annual water and sewerage bill for South West Water customers is £813/year (£68/month).
Water company: South West 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
Want a personalised estimate?
Adjust for your household size, housing type and transport to get a monthly cost tailored to you.
Broadband in Bristol
Bristol has 81.4% full fibre coverage and 94.6% gigabit-capable coverage across residential premises.
Full fibre take-up: 40% 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 Bristol
Bristol has 154 schools, with 80% rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted.
102 primary schools, 24 secondary schools, 28 special / nursery / alternative provision. Approximately 63,438 pupils across all schools.
6 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 Bristol
There were 1,308 recorded crimes per 10,000 people in Bristol, which is above the England and Wales average of 837. Bristol ranks #295 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 Bristol with another area
How does Bristol compare?
Side-by-side comparisons against three other UK areas, using the same single-person basket as the rest of the site.
Cardiff costs around £377/month less than Bristol on the same basket (£1,530/month vs £1,907/month).
See the full comparison → Bristol vs Bath and North East SomersetBath and North East Somerset costs around £39/month less than Bristol on the same basket (£1,868/month vs £1,907/month).
See the full comparison → Bristol vs Brighton and HoveBrighton and Hove costs around £53/month less than Bristol on the same basket (£1,854/month vs £1,907/month).
See the full comparison →Or compare Bristol with any UK area using the comparison tool.
Nearby areas
Explore the cost of living in areas close to Bristol.