What is the average rent in Cardiff?

A 1-bedroom apartment in Cardiff city centre costs approximately GBP 866 per month. Outside the centre, rent drops to GBP 824 (saving 5%). A 3-bedroom apartment in the centre costs around GBP 1,638.

Is Cardiff affordable to live in?

Cardiff is expensive by global standards. Groceries are average, restaurants are average, and local purchasing power is average. Workers in United Kingdom earning GBP 42,197 gross take home approximately GBP 2,825 per month after tax.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom · 2026

Cost of Living in Cardiff

Q: How expensive is Cardiff compared to the rest of United Kingdom?

Cardiff ranks #175 out of 577 cities globally. It is 11.6% cheaper than the United Kingdom average, based on 23 cities. The rent index is 27.3 and local purchasing power is 128.8.

11.6% below the United Kingdom average

Ranked #175 of 577 cities · More expensive than 69.7% of cities worldwide

-11.6%

Cost of Living

-18.0%

Rent

-2.3%

Groceries

-0.3%

Purchasing Power

Compared to United Kingdom average · See United Kingdom ranking →

Rent Prices in Cardiff

Apartment	City Centre	Outside Centre	You Save
1-Bedroom	GBP 866/mo ≈ $1,153	GBP 824/mo ≈ $1,098	5%
3-Bedroom	GBP 1,638/mo ≈ $2,182	GBP 1,137/mo ≈ $1,515	31%

Numbeo · 2026-10-02

Multi-Source Comparison

★★★ High Confidence

Cardiff has a cost of living index of 47.8 (New York = 100, rent included), the average of 3 of 3 data sources.

47.8

Index

Sources

4.5

Gap between sources

Source Values (NYC = 100)

Numbeo

48.9

Expatistan

45.0

LivingCost

49.5

ShouldIMove price index

No data

ShouldIMove price index: our own basket of real item prices plus rent.

View all 577 cities | Data collected: Numbeo October 2026 · Expatistan March 2026 · LivingCost October 2026

Cost Indices

Cost of Living

-11.6% Affordable

Rent

-18.0% Affordable

Groceries

-2.3% Average

Restaurants

-7.2% Average

Purchasing Power

-0.3% Average

Living in Cardiff: What to Expect

Cardiff is expensive by global standards (ranked #175 of 577 cities). It is 11.6% cheaper than the United Kingdom average, based on 23 cities.

Groceries are average and dining out is average. The best value is rent and the priciest is groceries.

Local purchasing power is strong: residents can afford more goods and services than in most cities.

Workers in United Kingdom earning GBP 42,197 gross take home GBP 2,825/month after tax (19.7% effective rate). See full United Kingdom tax calculator →