These days, finding a decent monthly rent often takes a Herculean effort.

In London, a 2025 study from Trust for London found renters living in a one-bed in the capital are giving away 52% of their pre-tax income for the liberty. Across the rest of England, this figure rests at 42%.

So, it’s worth looking outside of the major cities to shave a few pennies off.

Renting website SpareRoom crunched the numbers exclusively for , and found a handful of locations worth considering.

To identify these areas, the data assessed all of the towns within a 60-minute commute of their nearest major city, and crucially, selected the ones that haven’t seen a year-on-year increase in rent.

We’re not suggesting all of these places are completely dreamy — and you’ll have to factor in the cost of commuting. But if something’s got to give, consider the list your starting point.

London

Everyone knows London is expensive, but if you’re not in the office every single day and want a shot at slightly cheaper rent, there are options.

At the moment, the average rent for a room in the capital rests at £979, but if you look at places like Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire, you’ll pay more like £740 for your spot in a house share.

There are plenty of options on the list, too, including Harlow in Essex, where the typical rental payment comes in at £706, and Bigglewade inBedfordshire, for £690 per month.

It’s worth noting the figures only considered Inner London as part of its research, and didn’t factor in suburbs like Croydon or Twickenham. For that reason, there are a few areas with London postcodes included.

Here’s the full list of areas:

• Feltham (£756)
• Pinner (£805)
• Reading (£711)
• Egham (£767)
• Uxbridge (£786)
• Beckenham (£847)
• Croydon (£816)
• Harlow (£706)
• Grays (£722)
• Sunbury-on-Thames (£749)
• Hampton (£861)
• Enfield (£809)
• Romford (£760)
• Dagenham (£721)
• Twickenham (£920)
• Coulsdon (£764)
• Kings Langley (£763)
• Surbiton (£832)
• Horley (£724)
• New Malden (£806)
• Sidcup (£745)
• Keston (£806)
• Bromley (£801)
• Waltham Cross (£747)
• Purley (£807)
• Harrow (£815)
• Welling (£750)
• Isleworth (£817)
• Mitcham (£807)
• Greenford (£795)
• Sevenoaks (£721)
• Amersham (£798)
• Newmarket (£627)
• Sutton (£807)
• Letchworth Garden City (£669)
• Bexleyheath (£765)
• Ascot (£860)
• Biggleswade (£690)
• Orpington (£782)
• Wembley (£892)
• Barnet (£843)
• Chigwell (£742)
• Ware (£691)
• Welwyn Garden City (£740)
• Chertsey (£782)
• Swanley (£730)
• West Molesey (£715).

Manchester

Home of the Madchester scene of the late 1980s and 1990s, Manchester has a special place in the hearts of many, including PM Andy Burnham, who is so devoted to the cause of equal value for the North of England that he’s founded No10 North.

These days, though, the city is becoming more and more expensive, as the average rent now comes in at £680.

Long-time residents reflect on just how much has changed over the last 30 years, as in the 1990s, there weren’t any skyscrapers in Manc.

Now, looking out onto the skyline, everything looks different. There are 11.

Because of this, many locals are now looking to rent elsewhere, priced out of the city they’ve long called home. If you find yourself in the same boat, SpareRoom suggests trying Wigan, where the typical rental payment comes in at £563, while Huddersfield costs a slightly more doable £484.

There’s also Cheadle (£673), St Helens (£551), and Oldham (£563).

Birmingham

Brum is fairly conveniently located, being almost bang-slap in the middle of England. It’s about two and a half hours from London in the car, while Manchester is just shy of two hours away.

Here, the average rental payment comes in at £612, but there are cheaper alternatives if you know where to look.

Tamworth is about 13 minutes away on the train, and here, costs are more like £586. There’s also Wednesbury (£530), Willenhall (£497), Dudley (£538), Wolverhampton (£521), and Cannock (£589).

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing LifestyleTeam@.co.uk

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