The most expensive cities outside London (2024)

London is still, unsurprisingly, the most expensive place to buy a home in the UK, with the average property price in the city now £534,600.

In a composite of UK cities for January 2024, the Zoopla House Price Index revealed that, after London, Cambridge is the second most expensive city to buy property, with an average price of £468,100, with Oxford (£446,700), Bristol (£335,900) and Bournemouth (£328,500) and Portsmouth (£278,600) making up the rest of the top five.

According to Zoopla the average UK property price in January was £263,600 – down 0.5% year-on-year. Proving resilient to increased mortgage rates and cost-of-living pressures, the housing market shows "more sales and more sellers", revealing a "growing confidence amongst households and evidence that 4-5% mortgage rates are not a barrier to improving market conditions", said Richard Donnell, Zoopla's executive director of research.

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At the other end of the scale, Bradford is the "cheapest city for first-time buyers", said Unbiased, with an average asking price of £104,643.

Starting with Cambridge, we look at the most expensive places to buy property outside London, according to the Zoopla House Price Index:

1. Cambridge: £468,100

The skyline of the historic city is dominated by tightly packed college buildings, with cultural attractions such as world-class art collections. For green space there are the Backs, the colleges' riverside gardens, parks, the Botanic Garden and countryside all around the city.

2. Oxford: £446,700

The home, of course, of the University of Oxford, the oldest university in the English-speaking world. The city is packed with quadrangles, gothic spires and listed buildings, plus parks and the possibility of punting on the river. Its green belt protects rural surroundings – and limits housing availability. The Chilterns and Cotswolds are on the doorstep.

3. Bristol: £335,900

Built around the River Avon, spanned by the Clifton Suspension Bridge, its city-centre docks have been redeveloped as cultural and heritage centres. With the M4 and M5 nearby, it also has an international airport, and is within easy reach of the North Somerset coast.

4. Bournemouth: £328,500

Dorset's largest conurbation has seven miles of award-winning beaches offering great watersports, one of southern England's largest entertainment venues and an international airport. To the west is Poole Harbour, Europe's largest natural harbour, with the New Forest to the east.

5. Portsmouth: £278,600

Portsmouth is a waterfront city, centred around a port and naval base, with beaches, cultural and artistic hotspots, and stacks of green space. It's known for its maritime heritage and is home to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, with ships including the Mary Rose, and a cruise terminal and international ferry port nearby.

6. Edinburgh: £270,900

Scotland's capital, perched on an extinct volcano, is renowned for its medieval Old Town, and Georgian New Town, and many historic sites including Edinburgh Castle. As befits a Unesco World Heritage Site and City of Literature, it's home to no fewer than 10 major international festivals.

7. Southampton: £255,100

This south coast port city in Hampshire is home to the longest surviving stretch of medieval walls in England, and the largest theatre in the south of England. Its excellent transport links include road, rail and an international airport, plus ferries and a major cruise terminal. Close to countryside, there's easy access to the coast and the New Forest.

8. Cardiff: £252,700

The Welsh capital is compact, with national museums, a spectacular castle and a 76,000-seat sports stadium in the heart of the city. Transport-wise, there are convenient motorways, rail links and an international airport. Nearby is the scenic Glamorgan Heritage Coast.

9. Leicester: £226,600

In the heart of England on the Grand Union Canal, surrounded by beautiful market towns, is one of the oldest cities in England, and where King Richard III was killed in battle. Home to one of Europe's largest covered markets, it has a multicultural buzz. It’s close to the M1, with Birmingham and East Midlands airports a short drive away.

10. Manchester: £223,000

Home to world-famous football, renowned art galleries and a music scene, Manchester was once the world's manufacturing powerhouse. Its former industrial buildings are now home to shops, restaurants and accommodation. Its airport is the busiest outside London, and trains, buses and trams serve the city.