Cardiff named one of Europe’s ‘most liveable cities’

Nation Cymru staff

The Welsh capital has been named one of the ‘most liveable’ cities in Europe, thanks to its comparatively low rent costs, good salaries and ‘superb’ healthcare.

Wise’s Cost of Living Index has compiled liveability and cost data for 41 locations across Europe and ranked them to reveal the places with the best standard of living.

The rankings look at the ‘liveability score’ of each area, which is calculated as the average of three factors: Quality of life, safety and healthcare.

The index tracks the average price of a standardised basket of everyday goods and services – including housing, food, healthcare, transportation and education – and has a top score of 100.

The results reveal some interesting contenders, with many UK spots in the mix, but only one Welsh location – Cardiff – at an impressive number 22 across the entire continent.

Overall, York came out as the top choice in Europe, with a liveability score of 85, owing to the fact that residents are left with an average monthly surplus of £872 after essential expenses, with rent accounting for a manageable 35 per cent of take-home pay.

Munich in Germany takes second place, with a score of 84.3 and a monthly salary surplus of £1,225.

Rotterdam in the Netherlands completes the top three, with a high liveability score of 84 and a salary surplus of £892, combined with an excellent healthcare service.

According to the study, Vienna in Austria comes in fourth place. In fifth place are two joint winners: Norwich and Amsterdam.

Caerdydd

Looking at the UK overall, Wise highlight the benefit of being a ‘historic global hub’; offering diverse culture and English-language ease, but say that London’s cost rivals the world’s priciest cities.

Analysing the cost of living breakdown for Cardiff at number 22 across the whole of Europe, Wise praise the ‘friendly Welsh capital with affordable living costs, growing media jobs, and easy access to beautiful coastlines.”

They write: “Living costs in Cardiff can vary. You can expect to spend around £1,759 per month for 1 person as of 2026, on common living costs such as housing, food, and transport.”

Housing in Cardiff is cheap overall in Europe, despite being one of the costliest places in Wales to live. Average rent per month in Cardiff according to Wise is £936. Property is £4,057 per m² (city centre) and  £2,609 per m² (outside centre).

Cardiff average costs for monthly groceries stand at £215, with £169 cost for eating out per month on average.

This is balanced by an average Monthly Net Salary in Cardiff of £2,352

Florian Ramos, marketing director for Europe at Wise, shared: :A good city isn’t only about the salary on the payslip. It’s about what’s left once rent and everyday bills are paid. Wise’s Cost of Living Index puts those numbers side by side, so people can compare cities clearly before they make a move.

“Our analysis suggests UK pay generally stretches further nationwide than in many major European cities, where living in the centre can be hard on local salaries. In many of those places people share a home or live further out.

“At Wise, we’re working to make managing money across borders cheaper and simpler, so more of what people earn goes where they want it to. The Wise Account lets you hold and manage over 40 currencies, get paid internationally and spend abroad with the card, so settling into a new city is simpler from day one.’

Find out more at the Wise Cost of Living Index calculator. View the Cardiff specific data here.