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03 Sept 2025

How much could you save moving to a commuter town?

We spotlight the best-value spots and the costs that you’ll need to consider

Sam Wilson

Sam covers personal finance topics, from the best savings rates to the reasons mortgage lenders say no. He enjoys crunching the numbers to help consumers get ahead.

House prices in Britain’s biggest cities have soared in recent years, pushing many buyers to look beyond the centre for better value. In Cardiff, for example, the average property now costs almost 30% more than it did five years ago.

Property website Zoopla has identified commuter towns where moving out could mean lower house prices without sacrificing realistic journey times.

Here, Which? reveals the most affordable commuter spots across London and other major UK cities, and unpacks the hidden costs you’ll need to weigh up before making the move.

Where commuters can save the most

For those travelling into London, the biggest savings are found in Peterborough. Average property prices there are £238,800 — more than 50% lower than London’s £561,000. Trains into King’s Cross take less than an hour.

If journey time is a priority, Purfleet-on-Thames offers one of the best balances of cost and speed. Homes average £248,400 and the commute into the capital is just 29 minutes.

Zoopla’s research also highlights commuter hotspots for other major UK cities, which we’ve explored below.


King's Cross	Peterborough	£238,800	50 mins
King's Cross	Huntingdon	£329,300	63 mins
King's Cross	St Neots	£343,500	55 mins
St Pancras	Wellingborough	£245,400	53 mins
St Pancras	Kettering	£261,500	56 mins
St Pancras	Chatham	£279,200	40 mins
Euston	Rugby	£281,100	52 mins
Euston	Northampton	£281,400	55 mins
Euston	Milton Keynes	£337,700	32 mins
Marylebone	Bicester	£395,400	43 mins
Marylebone	Aylesbury	£410,600	55 mins
Marylebone	Banbury	£447,200	67 mins
Paddington	Didcot	£387,100	37 mins
Paddington	Thatcham	£407,500	41 mins
Paddington	Hungerford	£424,500	48 mins
Victoria	Chatham	£279,200	44 mins
Victoria	Gillingham	£304,300	45 mins
Victoria	Sittingbourne	£326,500	63 mins
Waterloo	Basingstoke	£357,100	42 mins
Waterloo	Aldershot	£366,500	46 mins
Waterloo	Farnborough	£393,500	34 mins
London Bridge	Chatham	£279,200	40 mins
London Bridge	Gillingham	£304,300	45 mins
London Bridge	Luton	£305,700	47 mins
Fenchurch Street	Purfleet-on-Thames	£248,400	29 mins
Fenchurch Street	Basildon	£328,800	32 mins
Fenchurch Street	Southend	£333,100	47 mins
Liverpool Street	Ipswich	£280,800	48 mins
Liverpool Street	Witham	£332,100	43 mins
Liverpool Street	Southend	£333,100	58 mins
Moorgate	Hatfield (Herts)	£431,100	43 mins
Moorgate	Welwyn Garden City	£446,600	48 mins
Moorgate	Enfield	£466,300	34 mins

Source: Zoopla

Find out more: what's happening to house prices?

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Affordable commuter towns across Britain

It’s not just London commuters who can make big savings by looking to nearby towns. Zoopla found that those travelling into other major UK cities also have access to some of the most affordable commuter hotspots. The research doesn't cover Northern Ireland.

Birmingham Tipton and Wednesbury both offer a 14% saving on average home values compared with Birmingham itself. Commutes are quick, too, taking less than 25 minutes by train.
Bristol According to Land Registry data, average house prices in Bristol have risen by almost £50,000 in the past five years. Zoopla highlights Newport as a strong alternative, where buyers can save 43%, on average, and reach Bristol by train in around 40 minutes. Smaller savings can also be made in Cardiff, which is roughly a 50-minute train journey away.
Cardiff New Tredegar, a commuter town close to Cardiff, offers one of the most savings. The average home costs £108,600 compared with Cardiff’s £280,760, which is 61% lower. The train commute takes just under an hour.
Edinburgh Wishaw and Shotts are among the most affordable commuter towns to the Scottish capital. Average property prices are £111,670 and £114,080, respectively, compared with £287,110 in Edinburgh.
Leeds Bradford and Dewsbury both offer quick journeys into Leeds – 17 minutes from Bradford and just 11 minutes from Dewsbury. Even better, average house prices are at least 30% lower than in Leeds itself.
Newcastle Shildon has some of the lowest average prices in the country at £73,800. That’s a 61% saving compared with Newcastle’s £189,880. The commute takes around 55 minutes.

The table shows the full list of affordable commuter towns for a range of cities across the country.


Birmingham	£230,330	Stoke-On-Trent	£171,700	47 mins
Birmingham	£230,330	Tipton	£197,200	17 mins
Birmingham	£230,330	Wednesbury	£197,200	25 mins
Birmingham	£230,330	Bilston	£198,000	18 mins
Birmingham	£230,330	Cradley Heath	£202,200	19 mins
Bristol	£379,800	Newport	£214,700	18 mins
Bristol	£379,800	Weston-Super-Mare	£261,200	17 mins
Bristol	£379,800	Bridgwater	£266,400	26 mins
Bristol	£379,800	Highbridge	£268,000	32 mins
Bristol	£379,800	Tiverton	£289,900	43 mins
Edinburgh	£287,110	Wishaw	£111,670	45 mins
Edinburgh	£287,110	Shotts	£114,080	33 mins
Edinburgh	£287,110	Airdrie	£118,680	43 mins
Edinburgh	£287,110	Motherwell	£120,910	42 mins
Edinburgh	£287,110	Coatbridge	£120,990	49 mins
Leeds	£232,730	Bradford	£155,860	17 mins
Leeds	£232,730	Rotherham	£162,110	58 mins
Leeds	£232,730	Dewsbury	£163,550	11 mins
Leeds	£232,730	Castleford	£164,510	20 mins
Leeds	£232,730	Batley	£164,990	14 mins
Newcastle	£189,880	Shildon	£73,800	55 mins
Newcastle	£189,880	Peterlee	£91,000	35 mins
Newcastle	£189,880	Seaham	£113,100	29 mins
Newcastle	£189,880	Hartlepool	£116,800	47 mins
Newcastle	£189,880	Bishop Auckland	£121,800	61 mins
Nottingham	£227,330	Mansfield	£178,300	28 mins
Nottingham	£227,330	Sutton-In-Ashfield	£179,100	22 mins
Nottingham	£227,330	Alfreton	£187,000	21 mins
Nottingham	£227,330	Wednesbury	£197,200	75 mins
Nottingham	£227,330	Bilston	£198,000	75 mins
Cardiff	£280,760	New Tredegar	£108,600	57 mins
Cardiff	£280,760	Mountain Ash	£122,400	49 mins
Cardiff	£280,760	Pentre	£123,200	56 mins
Cardiff	£280,760	Abertillery	£124,400	45 mins
Cardiff	£280,760	Treorchy	£125,900	59 mins

Source: Zoopla

Find out more: best mortgage rates 2025.

Costs to consider before making the move

Lower house prices aren’t the whole story. If you’re thinking about swapping city living for a commuter town, it’s important to factor in the extra costs.

Rail fares

Train tickets can add up quickly. When we checked on 1 September, a Peterborough-London return cost £93.50, even when booked more than a month in advance.

Season tickets can make regular commuting cheaper, but the upfront cost is high. A Peterborough-London season ticket is £8,584 a year, which works out at £55.07 per journey if used three days a week.

Price rises

Ticket prices don’t stand still. The Office of Rail and Road reported that average fares rose by 5.1% in the 12 months to March 2025, so it’s worth building increases into your budget.

Parking

Station parking is another hidden expense. Daily charges can reach £12, adding up to more than £1,000 a year even if you only travel twice a week.

A parking season ticket may be more cost-effective if you commute regularly.

Moving costs

Don’t forget the cost of moving home itself. Research by Reallymoving puts the average bill at just under £14,000, although for first-time buyers it’s much lower at around £2,186.

Costs are likely to be higher following April’s stamp duty threshold changes, which affect buyers differently depending on whether you’re moving home or buying for the first time.

Find out more: the cost of buying a home.