Comparison

Cardiff vs Swansea

Council tax (Band D) is £225/year higher in Swansea than Cardiff.

Wales  vs  Wales

Average earnings
Cardiff
£32,756/yr
Lower
Swansea
£32,091/yr
£665 difference
Average house price
Cardiff
£257,500
Swansea
£185,000
Lower
£72,500 (39%)

Rent comparison

Rent data is not currently available for either area. ONS Private Rental Market Statistics currently cover England only.

Source: ONS Private Rental Market Statistics

Earnings comparison

Cardiff - average
£32,756/yr
Swansea - average
£32,091/yr

Residents of Cardiff earn £665/year more than those in Swansea.

Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings

House prices comparison

Property type
Cardiff
Average
£257,500
£185,000
Detached
£447,000
£320,000
Semi-detached
£300,000
£193,250
Terraced
£252,000
£142,000
Flat
£154,000
£127,000

House prices in Cardiff are £72,500 (39%) higher than in Swansea.

Source: ONS / HM Land Registry

Council tax comparison

Cardiff - Band D
£2,013/yr
Swansea - Band D
£2,238/yr

You would pay £225/year more in council tax (Band D) living in Swansea than in Cardiff.

Band
Cardiff
Band A
£1,342
£1,492
Band B
£1,566
£1,741
Band C
£1,789
£1,990
Band D
Benchmark
£2,013
£2,238
Band E
£2,461
£2,736
Band F
£2,908
£3,233
Band G
£3,355
£3,730
Band H
£4,026
£4,477
Band I
£4,697
£5,223

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

Cardiff
Annual
£1,641
£1,641
Monthly
£137
£137
Energy region
South Wales
South Wales

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

Cardiff
Annual
£627
£627
Monthly
£52
£52
Water company
Dwr Cymru Welsh Water
Dwr Cymru Welsh Water

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.

Compare different areas

Learn more about each area

Data on this page is sourced from: ONS Private Rental Market 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.