Rightmove has revealed a list of the most and least expensive cities to rent outside London and two Lancashire cities feature.

The property company analysed advertised rents in more than 50 cities across Britain.

The national average advertised rent outside London is a record £1,349 per calendar month, Rightmove said.

The data was released as students prepare to start the new academic year.

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Tim Bannister, a property expert at Rightmove, said: “The rental divide across Great Britain is clear, with an average difference of just over £1,500 (per month) between the most expensive and cheapest cities.

“Many of these cities have seen rental growth of over 40% over the past five years, meaning it’s likely to be a significant consideration when students are thinking about where to study, and those who have already graduated working out if they can afford to stay in that city and find a job.”

Preston and Lancaster were named among the least expensive cities to rent outside London.

Preston was also named among the least expensive cities for renters outside LondonPreston was also named among the least expensive cities for renters outside London (Image: Getty) The average asking rents in Preston are £952 whereas they’re slightly higher in Lancaster at £993, according to the research.

Top 10 most expensive cities for renters outside London

Here are average asking rents in the top 10 most expensive cities in Rightmove’s study (figures are for August 2024):

  1. St Albans, east of England, £2,307
  2. Oxford, South East, £2,237
  3. Cambridge, east of England, £2,072
  4. Winchester, South East, £2,049
  5. Brighton, South East, £2,040
  6. Edinburgh, Scotland, £1,778
  7. Bristol, South West, £1,758
  8. Chelmsford, east of England, £1,686
  9. Milton Keynes, South East, £1,590
  10. Southend-on-Sea, east of England, £1,495

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Top 10 least expensive cities for renters outside London

The 10 cheapest cities to rent outside London are:

  1. Carlisle, North West, £791
  2. Hull, Yorkshire and the Humber, £804
  3. Sunderland, North East, £807
  4. Stoke-on-Trent, West Midlands, £863
  5. Wrexham, Wales, £874
  6. Bradford, Yorkshire and the Humber, £947
  7. Preston, North West, £952
  8. Doncaster, Yorkshire and the Humber, £974
  9. Lancaster, North West, £993
  10. Wakefield, Yorkshire and the Humber, £1,030

Preston and Lancaster were the only Lancashire cities to feature in the least expensive cities to rent outside London.

No Lancashire or north west cities were named among the most expensive cities to rent outside London.