Brighton vs London

Which is better to live in? (2026)

59

Brighton

South East

Grade C
71

London

London

Grade BHigher Overall
Brighton: 1 wins|London: 7 wins

Brighton (South East) and London (London) are two UK areas home buyers and renters frequently weigh against each other. On our overall Area Score, Brighton rates 59/100 (grade C) and London rates 71/100 (grade B). London is the safer of the two on crime (56/100 versus 25/100). Brighton has the stronger schools, with 100% of nearby schools rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted. London works out cheaper for typical monthly household bills (~£322 versus ~£451). The full side-by-side breakdown of crime, schools, transport, affordability, broadband, environment and healthcare is below, followed by our verdict on which area fits which kind of buyer.

Brighton vs London: Category Comparison

Brighton
Category
London
59/100
🏆Overall Score
BETTER71/100
25/100
🔒Crime Safety
BETTER56/100
100% Good/OutstandingBETTER
🎓Schools
67% Good/Outstanding
90/100
🚆Transport
BETTER97/100
48/100
💷Affordability
BETTER87/100
~£451/mo
🧾Monthly Bills
BETTER~£322/mo
76/100
📶Broadband
BETTER80/100
25/100
🌿Environment
25/100
41/100
🏥Healthcare
BETTER87/100

Our Verdict

London leads in 5 of 8 categories, scoring higher for crime safety, transport, affordability. That said, Brighton has the edge in schools and energy efficiency, making it a strong option depending on what matters most to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Brighton or London better to live in?

London leads in 5 of 8 categories, scoring higher for crime safety, transport, affordability. That said, Brighton has the edge in schools and energy efficiency, making it a strong option depending on what matters most to you.

Is Brighton safer than London?

London scores higher for crime safety (56/100) compared to Brighton (25/100). Scores are based on the Index of Multiple Deprivation crime domain.

Which has better schools, Brighton or London?

Brighton has 15 schools within 3km, with 100% rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted. London has 15 schools nearby, with 67% rated Good or Outstanding.

Is it cheaper to live in Brighton or London?

Estimated monthly bills are lower in London (~£322/month) compared to Brighton (~£451/month). Bills include council tax, energy, water, broadband, and insurance estimates.

Related Comparisons

Data sources: Scores are estimated using pre-loaded data from MHCLG Indices of Deprivation, Ofsted/GIAS school ratings, DfT Transport Connectivity 2025, MHCLG council tax data, Ofgem energy price cap, and regional averages. For full live data from 20+ government sources, view the individual town reports. Data provided under the Open Government Licence v3.0.