Comparison

Birmingham vs Bristol

Renting in Bristol costs £802/month more than Birmingham.

West Midlands, England  vs  South West, England

Average rent
Birmingham
£1,086/mo
Lower
Bristol
£1,888/mo
£802 difference
Average earnings
Birmingham
£30,180/yr
Bristol
£34,051/yr
Higher
£3,871 difference
Average house price
Birmingham
£235,000
Bristol
£351,000
£116,000 (49%)

Rent comparison

Bedrooms
Birmingham
Overall
£1,086/mo
£1,888/mo
1 Bed
£821/mo
£1,227/mo
2 Bed
£992/mo
£1,546/mo
3 Bed
£1,119/mo
£1,759/mo
4+ Bed
£1,563/mo
£2,565/mo

Overall, renting in Birmingham is £802/month cheaper than Bristol - that's £9,624/year.

Source: ONS Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR)

Earnings comparison

Birmingham - average
£30,180/yr
Bristol - average
£34,051/yr

Residents of Bristol earn £3,871/year more than those in Birmingham.

Affordability insight
Birmingham
43%
of gross earnings on rent
Bristol
67%
of gross earnings on rent

Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings

House prices comparison

Property type
Birmingham
Average
£235,000
£351,000
Detached
£446,453
£535,000
Semi-detached
£262,000
£372,000
Terraced
£215,000
£382,000
Flat
£158,750
£265,250

House prices in Bristol are £116,000 (49%) higher than in Birmingham.

Over the last 10 years, house prices in Birmingham have risen by 65.5%, compared to 68.8% in Bristol.

Source: ONS / HM Land Registry

Council tax comparison

Birmingham - Band D
£2,363/yr
Bristol - Band D
£2,714/yr

You would pay £351/year more in council tax (Band D) living in Bristol than in Birmingham.

Band
Birmingham
Band A
£1,575
£1,809
Band B
£1,838
£2,111
Band C
£2,100
£2,412
Band D
Benchmark
£2,363
£2,714
Band E
£2,888
£3,317
Band F
£3,413
£3,920
Band G
£3,938
£4,523
Band H
£4,726
£5,427

Source: MHCLG / Scottish Government / Welsh Government

Band D is used as the standard benchmark for comparing council tax across areas. Other bands are set as fixed proportions of the Band D amount.

Energy comparison

Birmingham
Annual
£1,641
£1,641
Monthly
£137
£137
Energy region
West Midlands
South West

Energy estimates are based on the Ofgem price cap, which is set nationally. Regional variation is small; we show the same headline figure across regions for transparency.

Source: Ofgem Energy Price Cap, Q2 2026

Water comparison

Birmingham
Annual
£594
£813
Monthly
£50
£68
Water company
Severn Trent Water
South West Water

Water in Bristol costs about £219/year more than in Birmingham.

Source: Water UK / Discover Water, 2026-27

Water company boundaries don't always align cleanly with local authority boundaries; the company shown here is the most common provider in each area.

Crime comparison

Birmingham
1,141/10k
#281 of 303
Bristol
1,303/10k
#294 of 303
Crime type
Birmingham
Overall crime rate
1,141 /10k
1,303 /10k
Violence & sexual
510 /10k
521 /10k
Burglary
57 /10k
56 /10k
Theft
326 /10k
400 /10k
Criminal damage
89 /10k
106 /10k
Drug offences
40 /10k
35 /10k
Public order
69 /10k
156 /10k

Birmingham has a lower crime rate than Bristol, with 1,141 vs 1,303 recorded crimes per 10,000 people.

Source: Home Office / Scottish Government recorded crime

Recording practices vary between police forces. Crime rates reflect reported and recorded crime only.

Compare different areas

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Data on this page is sourced from: ONS Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), Scottish Government Private Sector Rent Statistics, ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, ONS / HM Land Registry House Price Statistics, MHCLG / Scottish Government / Welsh Government council tax data, Ofgem Energy Price Cap, and Water UK / Discover Water. All official data is published under the Open Government Licence.