Living in Bristol

In Bristol, the median gross salary is €3,565 a month (2025) and tenants pay an average rent of €2,200 a month (2026).

Bristol numbered 425,215 residents at the end of 2021. Regional median gross salary figures for Bristol showed €3,356 per month at the end of 2024. The city faced an unemployment rate of 3.76% at the end of 2018.

Last checked 2026-09-2320 sources

Population425,215people31 Dec 2021Official source · Office for National Statistics

Median gross salary3,565EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary

Average rent2,200EUR/month31 Aug 2026Official source · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority

Unemployment rate3.76%country median 3.4% — 11% aboveOfficial source · Eurostat

Recorded crime13,099offences per 100,000country median 9,646 — 36% aboveOfficial source · Office for National Statistics

PM2.5, annual mean13µg/m³31 Dec 2019Nearest stationOfficial source · European Environment Agency

Higher unemployment than 61% of United Kingdom cities that publish it, more recorded crime than 90% of United Kingdom cities that publish it and dirtier air than any other United Kingdom city that publishes it.

Which United Kingdom-wide rules apply when you move to Bristol?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United KingdomNational rates and thresholds that apply in Bristol.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent figure is published for Bristol. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month4 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Utilities, 85 m² flat€279

Transport pass€105

Internet, 60 Mbps€34

Mobile plan, 10 GB€15

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	33.7 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/uk/bristol/²⁰Community estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	14.67 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/uk/bristol/²⁰Community estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass	105.4 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/uk/bristol/²⁰Community estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	279.3 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/uk/bristol/²⁰Community estimate · Supplemental context
Rent price index, mean	2,200 EUR/month	31 Aug 2026	Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics, 16 September 2026 edition¹⁹Official
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)	2,200 EUR/month	31 Aug 2026	ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority¹⁵Official

Is Bristol a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker23%strong on work, weak on safety · range 14–32%

Skilled employee37%strong on work, weak on safety · range 29–45%

Student29%strong on education, weak on safety · range 22–36%

Family24%strong on family, weak on cost · range 16–32%

Retirement23%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 12–34%

Work and income

For Bristol, the employment rate was 61.2% at the end of 2021. Bristol had 215,010 at the end of 2021.

What is the typical salary in Bristol?

The median gross salary is about 3,565 EUR/month (2025). The regional series (home-region basis, 2024) is a separate labelled row in the table.

City-scope median, gross, before tax and social contributions.

Median gross salary: 3,565 EUR/month · ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary¹⁴
Median gross salary (regional): 3,356 EUR/month · 2026-08-06 · Office for National Statistics (ONS)¹²

What is the unemployment rate in Bristol?

The unemployment rate is about 3.8 % (2018).

Unemployment rate: 3.76 % · Eurostat⁵

Unemployment across cities in United KingdomUnemployment in Bristol is 3.8%. Of 999 cities with data, 652 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

652

263

0–22–44–66–88–1010–1216–18

Bristol 3.8%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Employment rate	61.2 %	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics⁹Official
Median gross salary	3,565 EUR/month	31 Dec 2025	ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary¹⁴Official
Median gross salary (regional)	3,356 EUR/month	31 Dec 2024	Office for National Statistics (ONS)¹²Official · regional context
Average net monthly salary	3,351 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/uk/bristol/²⁰Community estimate · Supplemental context
Unemployment rate	3.76 %country median 3.4%	31 Dec 2018	Eurostat⁵Official

Unemployment rate over time11 published observations, 1991–2018

3.2%

5.8%

8.4%

11.0%

3.8%199120012008201120162018

Unemployment rate fell 64.1% between 1991 and 2018, from 10.5% to 3.8%.

What does a salary buy in Bristol?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€273of €2,906 take-home

Rent
Utilities
Transport
Internet
Mobile
Left over

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.	€2,906
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority · 2026-08-31	− €2,200
Public transport pass€105 · market price · Numbeo city cost-of-living page · 2026-09-30	− €105
Utilities, 85 m²€279 · market price · Numbeo city cost-of-living page · 2026-09-30	− €279
Internet€34 · market price · Numbeo city cost-of-living page · 2026-09-30	− €34
Mobile plan€15 · market price · Numbeo city cost-of-living page · 2026-09-30	− €15
Left over	€273

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Bristol Salary needed to live in Bristol

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Bristol. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Jobcentre Plus — Public employment service

Department for Work and Pensions

Job SearchUnemployment Claim

Open official service

Open the United Kingdom service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Bristol. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Public language course providers	1 count	31 Dec 2026	Community Learning Courses — Bristol ESOL²Official
Primary schools	220 count	3 Aug 2026	Department for Education (GIAS)³Official
Schools	323 count	3 Aug 2026	Department for Education (GIAS)³Official

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 5 to 16, and public school is free.

A country-wide rule for United Kingdom; Bristol's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: legislation.gov.uk · 1996–2026.

Healthcare

Metric	Value	Period	Source
GP practices	136 count	30 Sept 2026	ODS GP Practices report (epraccur)⁷Official
Pharmacies	139 count	30 Sept 2026	ODS Pharmacy/Dispensaries report (edispensary)⁸Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Bristol under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

How safe is Bristol?

Police recorded about 13,099 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.

Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 13,099 offences per 100,000 · Office for National Statistics¹¹

Recorded crime across major citiesBristol highlighted among comparable cities

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Manchester14,267

Bristol13,099

Liverpool12,409

Leeds11,462

Birmingham11,416

Leicester11,001

Sheffield9,693

Cardiff9,379

Belfast9,156

Coventry8,836

Glasgow757

Edinburgh549

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Burglaries per 100,000 residents	571 incidents per 100,000	31 Dec 2026	PFA tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C2 counts; Table C4 rates and mid-2024 population)¹⁸Official
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	13,099 offences per 100,000country median 9,646	31 Dec 2024	Office for National Statistics¹¹Official
Violent crime per 100,000 residents	4,741 incidents per 100,000	31 Dec 2026	PFA tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C2 counts; Table C4 rates and mid-2024 population)¹⁸Official

Mobility and administration

Bristol's nearest airport was BRS, 12 km away and offered 73 direct destinations.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport	73 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights¹⁶Official
Distance to the nearest major airport	12 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁷Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)	BRS	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁷Official

Climate and air quality

Annual PM2.5 was 13 µg/m³ at the end of 2019.

Is the air quality good in Bristol?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 13 µg/m³ (2019) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency⁴

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.513WHO 5 · EU 25

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United KingdomAnnual PM2.5 in Bristol is 13.0 µg/m³. Of 941 cities with data, 487 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.

211

487

200

3–44–55–66–77–88–99–1013–14

Bristol 13.0

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	13 µg/m³	31 Dec 2019	European Environment Agency⁴Official · nearest-station reading
Monthly extreme high temperature	Jan 13.28 · Feb 14.88 · Mar 18.07 · Apr 22.44 · May 23.88 · Jun 29.33 · Jul 33.11 · Aug 32.09 · Sep 27.49 · Oct 25.71 · Nov 17.72 · Dec 13.93 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁶Official · coordinate grid
Monthly extreme low temperature	Jan -7.04 · Feb -7.14 · Mar -6.04 · Apr -3.29 · May 0.4 · Jun 4.29 · Jul 6.9 · Aug 6.6 · Sep 3.79 · Oct -1.63 · Nov -5.01 · Dec -5.71 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁶Official · coordinate grid
Average temperature by month	Jan 4.62 · Feb 4.56 · Mar 6.07 · Apr 8.75 · May 11.91 · Jun 15.03 · Jul 17 · Aug 16.67 · Sep 14.45 · Oct 11.22 · Nov 7.57 · Dec 5.29 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁶Official · coordinate grid

Population and city profile

Median age stood at 33 years at the end of 2021.

How many people live in Bristol?

The published population was 425,215 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics¹⁰

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport81.4%
Foreign residents18.6%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Foreign-resident share	18.56 %	31 Dec 2021	Census 2021 (ONS): Towns and cities (characteristics of built-up areas), tables 4c/4d¹Official
Foreign residents	78,915 people	31 Dec 2021	Census 2021 (ONS): Towns and cities (characteristics of built-up areas), tables 4c/4d¹Official
Population	425,215 people	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics¹⁰Official

International community in Bristol

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Usual residents living in the individual ONS Built-up Area on Census Day 21 March 2021 · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Europe: United Kingdom	346,300	81.4%
Non-EU countries (including British Overseas)	45,850	10.8%
Europe: EU countries	33,065	7.8%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher	43 %	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics⁹Official
Workers aged 16 and over	215,010 workers	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics⁹Official
Median age	33 years	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics⁹Official
Universities	2 count	3 Aug 2026	Office for Students¹³Official

Alternatives for people set on Bristol

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Coventry as a Bristol alternative in the same country

Better on 3 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Median gross pay, city cannot be compared like for like.

Recorded crime, per 100k: 8,836 Coventry vs 13,099 Bristol−33%
Unemployment: 5.0% Coventry vs 3.8% Bristol+32%
Foreign residents: 28.2% Coventry vs 18.6% Bristol+52%
Median gross pay, city: €4,015 Coventry vs €3,565 Bristolno percentage
Annual PM2.5: 10.0 µg/m³ Coventry vs 13.0 µg/m³ Bristol−23%
Residents: 344,285 Coventry vs 425,215 Bristol−19%
Median gross pay, region: €3,346 Coventry vs €3,356 Bristolsame level

Full comparison More about Coventry

Alternative cities in United Kingdom

Other cities in United Kingdom to compare with Bristol, nearest in population first.

All United Kingdom cities

Croydon407,821 residents Leicester406,580 residents Manchester470,405 residents Cardiff383,919 residents Edinburgh488,050 residents Sheffield500,535 residents

How does Bristol compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Bristol's.

Open the full comparison

Bristol in rankings

#7 of 30 in Largest cities in United Kingdom #15 of 21 in Most international cities in United Kingdom #19 of 30 in Highest salary cities in United Kingdom

Put Bristol's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Bristol?

The published population was 425,215 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics.

Is the air quality good in Bristol?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 13 µg/m³ (2019) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency.

How safe is Bristol?

Police recorded about 13,099 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Office for National Statistics.

What is the typical salary in Bristol?

The median gross salary is about 3,565 EUR/month (2025). The regional series (home-region basis, 2024) is a separate labelled row in the table. Source: ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary.

What is the unemployment rate in Bristol?

The unemployment rate is about 3.8 % (2018). Source: Eurostat.

What is the typical salary around Bristol?

The median gross salary is 3,356 EUR/month. Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Is Bristol a good place to live?

Bristol may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Europe: United Kingdom live in Bristol?

The official country of birth distribution records 346,300 people (81.4%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Bristol, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version f12d3456ffa65f35ec0f1dba3298e27c]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/bristol/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_bristol-united-kingdom-population-rent-salary-jobs_74843457bc81,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Bristol, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {f12d3456ffa65f35ec0f1dba3298e27c},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/bristol/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Bristol, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/bristol/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version f12d3456ffa65f35ec0f1dba3298e27c; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

Census 2021 (ONS): Towns and cities (characteristics of built-up areas), tables 4c/4d ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-17
Community Learning Courses — Bristol ESOL Community Learning Courses · bristol.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-15
Department for Education (GIAS) get-information-schools.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-03
European Environment Agency air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
ODS GP Practices report (epraccur) odsdatasearchandexport.nhs.uk · checked 2026-09-15
ODS Pharmacy/Dispensaries report (edispensary) odsdatasearchandexport.nhs.uk · checked 2026-09-15
Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-07
Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-04

Show 10 more sources

Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-04
Office for National Statistics (ONS) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-06
Office for Students officeforstudents.org.uk · checked 2026-08-03
ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary ONS ASHE workplace analysis · nomisweb.co.uk · checked 2026-09-05
ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-23
OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
PFA tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C2 counts; Table C4 rates and mid-2024 population) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-18
Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics, 16 September 2026 edition ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-18
Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/uk/bristol/ Numbeo city cost-of-living page · de.numbeo.com · checked 2026-09-05

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