What are the UK’s best cities to live in if you’re just starting out in married life?

• Inverness tops the list as the best UK city for newlyweds
• Top four cities for newlyweds are in Scotland, with Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Glasgow
• Scotland has been crowned the top country for newlywed couples in the UK
• London scored the lowest with the cost of utilities and transport tickets being substantially higher than in Inverness
• Inverness came out as one of the cheapest options for monthly utility bills, compared to London which was 27% more expensive each month

The new study by Purely Diamonds reveals the top UK cities for newlyweds to consider, based on the elements that are the most important to new married couples.

Taking a list of the 34 most-visited cities around the world, we scored each city based on Average Rent, Utilities (including 60mbps Internet), Safety, Climate, Pollution, Essentials (Bread, Milk, Eggs), Transport (per person), Green Space, Culture (Museums, Cinemas, and Restaurants), Job Opportunities.

Using a weighted ranking system, the study assigned a score to the 20 UK cities. This took into account the factors described above. Each of these factors was weighted and assigned a value with lower numbers equalling a better experience for newlywed couples.

There’s no doubt that the cities of the UK offer up some of the most diverse landmarks and green spaces, but which cities have come out on top as the best for newlywed couples?

Inverness tops the list as the best place for newlyweds to settle down in as they begin life as a married couple.

The city scored highly on safety, climate and pollution, elements that will be important to a newly married couple who may have future plans to raise a family together.

In fact, the top four best cities in the UK for newlyweds are in Scotland, with Inverness taking the number one spot and Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow taking second, third and fourth, respectively.

In last position was London with the cost of utilities and transport tickets being substantially higher than in Inverness.

Cost of Living for Newlywed Couples in the UK

The cost of daily utilities will be a deciding factor for many couples when picking a location to live. When comparing the price of the basic necessary utilities for a household such as, electricity, heating and water couples will tend to want to look where they can get the best value for their money.

Inverness came out as one of the cheapest options for monthly utility bills, compared to London which was 27% more expensive each month.

The UK’s Best Cities For Cheaper Commutes

The commute to work and back is something most of us do on a daily basis, this is why it is an important element for many when deciding on where to settle down. Not only is the transport link options important, but also the price.

Top 10 UK Cities Ranked by Cheapest Monthly Tickets:

1. Cardiff – £52.90
2. Glasgow – £54.00
3. York – £55.00
4. Nottingham – £55.00
5. Edinburgh – £55.42
6. Leicester – £56.00
7. Cambridge – £57.60
8. Oxford – £58.50
9. Newcastle-upon-Tyne – £60.00
10. Leeds – £60.00

Cardiff took the top spot as the most cost-effective commute with the cheapest monthly ticket of £52.90 per person.

However, Glasgow and Edinburgh came out cheaper than the top scoring UK city Inverness, with monthly tickets costing significantly less.

Top UK City for Outdoor Space and Culture

Green spaces can enhance the health and wellbeing of people living and working in any city. Getting out for fresh air and exercise will be an element newlywed couples will be looking for when choosing where to live.

Top 10 UK Cities Ranked By Outdoor Space:

1. London
2. Bath
3. Birmingham
4. Leeds
5. Bristol
6. Cambridge
7. Cardiff
8. Aberdeen
9. York
10. Edinburgh

London takes the top spot for the city with the most green space, followed by Bath and Birmingham.

Leicester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Luton came in eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth positions as the lowest scoring UK cities for the number of parks and green space available.

Combining the number of museums, restaurants, cinemas and theatres put London in the top spot for culture, followed by Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Here’s How the UK’s Top 10 Most Cultural Cities stacked up: 

1. London
2. Edinburgh
3. Glasgow
4. Birmingham
5. Liverpool
6. Bristol
7. Manchester
8. Brighton/Hove
9. York
10. Bath

David Allen from Purely Diamonds commented on the results of the study:  

“You will probably look for many of the same qualities in a city as you do in a spouse; it makes you feel safe, it’s fun to be around, and it’s easy on the eyes. More importantly, you want a city that’s a good fit for your lifestyle.

“We’re talking cities with plenty of fun-loving married millennials, affordable rental options, tons of green space and plenty of cultural things to do, as well as the more practical aspects such as a cheap commute or a high number of job vacancies.

“The study spans the globe from the bright lights of Las Vegas to the romantic city of Venice, they all have something to offer, depending on what you place importance on together as a couple.”

So, if you’re tying the knot in 2021, will you be looking further afield? Many of the top scoring cities in this study have a few things in common. They have plenty of cultural attractions, a great foodie scene and plenty of scope for family life and employment prospects, but what if you can’t agree on where to put down roots?

David says you should try to make sure you follow the “Three C’s” Communicate, Compromise, and Collaborate. Here’s his top tips for newlywed house hunting:

1) Communicate with each other

Communication is crucial for newlyweds, whether you’re discussing what you want for dinner to what you both want from a new city. Talk about where you are living now and the pros and cons about it, this will help you decide on what’s important to you both. Do you value being close to work or does a longer commute not a deciding factor in your decision?

Make sure you have an open discussion about what you both want for the future, your deal-breakers before even starting to look at a map.

2) Compromise

It’s a fact of life that you’re not always going to agree with each other about everything, and that’s okay! As long as you have had a discussion about what’s most important to you both and what you’d each be willing to compromise on. Maybe you want to be close to work but your spouse wants to live on the other side of town – maybe you could start your search in the middle and set a distance radius?

3) Collaborate together

If you are both really struggling to compromise on your perfect location, then it could be a good idea to get friends and family involved to help you decide. Try creating a wish list that you can share with your close circle to see if they can help you make this big decision.

Find the full study by Purely Diamonds here: https://www.purelydiamonds.co.uk/

-Ends-

Notes to Editors

All High-Res Imagery can be downloaded here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1YJrvB-SZZ5X22f-ZItdQSPWAoz4dz32I?usp=sharing

Methodology and data sources: 

Taking a seed list of the 34 most-visited cities around the world, we scored each of the UK’s top 20 cities based on Average Rent, Utilities (including 60mbps Internet), Safety, Climate, Pollution, Essentials (Bread, Milk, Eggs), Transport (per person), Green Space, Culture (Museums, Cinemas, and Restaurants), Job Opportunities.

Using a weighted ranking system, we assigned a score to each city. This took into account the factors described above. Each of these factors was weighted and assigned a value with lower numbers equalling a better experience for newlywed couples.

The 20 UK cities used: 

Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Cambridge, Bath, York, Brighton/Hove, Oxford, Liverpool, Bristol, Nottingham, Leicester, Leeds, Luton, Birmingham, Manchester, and London.

Sources: 

https://bigseventravel.com/2020/01/the-most-visited-cities-world-2019/

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/

https://www.statista.com/

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/

https://www.finder.com/uk/world-cost-of-a-flat