London has the most graduate jobs – but at the expense of a higher cost of living
A new survey has revealed the top 10 best UK cities for job-hunting graduates. Bradford came out as the top city – based on the cost of living and accommodation prices. London came out top with the most job opportunities, with an average of 4,966 graduate jobs – but ranked bottom of the list for graduate cities due to the high cost of living.
Comparethemarket analysed which UK cities offer the best opportunities for graduates, taking into account; rental prices, job opportunities, living costs, the number of 21-30-year-olds within the community and not forgetting beer prices.
Bradford boasts low living costs in comparison to other locations analysed in the study, with average rent prices of just £463.12 a month and around 792 graduate jobs, a meal out at an inexpensive restaurant will set a graduate back around £10, with a pint of beer costing £3, and a cappuccino just £2.52.
Kingston-upon-Hull, ranked second, with the cheapest rent of all cities analysed, with an average of £391.25 a month – but only had 142 graduate jobs on offer, the city has a low cost of living, with beers costing £3 a pint and an average meal out costing £10.25.
In joint third place are Lancashire’s Preston and Blackpool, and rounding off the top five are Wolverhampton and Newport in terms of job opportunities. Following behind is Manchester, with 1,345 jobs, and Birmingham came in third with 914 graduate jobs.
Although London offers the highest number of graduate jobs, it ranks as the most unaffordable place to live due to the high cost of living. Average rent prices in the capital are around £1,442.38 a month, meals out costing an average of £17, beers priced at £6 per pint, and transport passes costing an average of £160 a month. Despite London’s high living costs, graduates won’t be alone with nearly 1.5 million (1,436,899) 21-30-year-olds living in the city.
Bristol also ranks toward the bottom of the list, due to a high cost of living. The average rental price for a one-bed apartment in Bristol is around £888 a month, while the average pint of beer costs £4.50 and a meal out is around £15. Rounding off the bottom five are Reading, Edinburgh, and Southend-on-Sea.
The full report can be found here: https://www.comparethemarket.com/home-insurance/content/best-and-worst-graduate-areas/
