These two cities compete in everything, including price tags. Living near a university with 800 years of history? That’ll be a cool million for a two-up, two-down.
In Cambridge, you’re paying for punting, bicycles, and the vague hope that academic brilliance will rub off on you. Spoiler: it won’t, but your bank account will shrink.
Oxford is worse. It’s so crowded with tourists and scholars that you pay extra just for quiet. A detached house here costs more than a Nobel Prize winner’s annual salary.
The Cotswolds: The Honey-Trap
This isn’t a city, it’s a viral Instagram filter made real. Stone cottages, rolling hills, and absolutely no affordable housing.
Celebrities flock here. So do Londoners with second homes. A cottage called “Rosebud” or “Mossy Nook” will set you back £2 million. You get a thatched roof and a hellish spider problem.
But hey, you’ll have a magical view while you cry into your £8 glass of local cider.
Most Expensive Places To Live In The UK: Complete Guide 2026
