With graduation just around the corner, many students will be planning the next stage of their lives. Choosing where to live after university can be both an exciting and daunting experience, with lots of different factors to consider.

With this in mind, home insurance experts Comparethemarket have researched which cities across the UK are best for graduates, considering factors such as rental prices, job opportunities, living costs, and several other 21–30-year-olds in the community. 

Bradford is revealed as the best city to live in as a graduate

With average rent prices of just £463.12 a month and around 792 graduate jobs, Bradford is named the top to move to as a graduate. The city also boasts low living costs compared to other locations in the study, with a meal out at an inexpensive restaurant averaging £10, a pint of beer costing £3, and a cappuccino setting you back just £2.52.  

In second place is Kingston upon Hull, which has the cheapest rent of all cities analysed, with an average of £391.25 a month. While it only has 142 graduate jobs on offer, the city does have a generally low cost of living, with beers costing just £3 a pint and the average meal out costing £10.25.

In joint third place are Lancashire’s Preston and Blackpool, and Wolverhampton and Newport are rounding off the top five.

London has the most job opportunities for graduates, with 4,966 graduate jobs on offer

Regarding job opportunities, the UK’s three biggest cities have the most to offer. Unsurprisingly, London boasts the most graduate jobs, with 4,966 different roles.

Following behind is Manchester, with 1,345 jobs, and Birmingham is in third with 914 graduate roles on offer. 

London ranks bottom of the list of best cities for graduates 

Although London offers the highest number of graduate jobs, it has scored lowest on the list of best places to live as a graduate. Average rent prices in the capital are around £1,442.38 a month, and the cost of living is high, with meals out costing an average of £17, beers costing £6 per pint, and transport passes costing an average of £160 a month. Despite the high costs, graduates won’t be alone in London, 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, thanks to a high cost of living. The average rent of 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

Anna McEntee at Comparethemarket says: “Starting a new job and moving to a new city can be such an exciting time, but you also need to make sure you feel comfortable where you live and find the right place to call home. 

“Whether you’re looking to rent or buy a home, it’s important to ensure you have the right level of insurance to suit your needs. Tenants insurance, sometimes known as renters contents insurance, offers cover for your contents and personal belongings if you rent a property.

“Although it’s not a legal requirement, while your landlord will take care of buildings insurance – and any contents they provide if the property is furnished – it’s up to you to insure your own belongings against theft and damage.

“Those opting to buy a house must consider both buildings insurance and contents insurance policies. You can buy buildings and contents insurance as two separate policies or combine them into a single one. If you want to save money on your home insurance, a combined policy from one insurance provider could work out cheaper.”