Compare Removal Costs

Save 70% off the cost of your house move today!

Compare My Move Fact-Checking Standards

The Compare My Move team follows strict guidelines to ensure that every piece of content is accurate, trust-worthy and adheres to the highest standard of quality. Each article is expertly reviewed by members of our author panel before being published to promote accurate and quality content.

All Compare My Move articles adhere to the following standards:

  • Expertly reviewed - Our articles are reviewed by an industry expert with in-depth knowledge and experience of the article topic.
  • Data supported - All statistics, research and data must link or reference to the original source.
  • Accuracy - All research and data are taken from high-quality, trustworthy and authoritative sources.
  • Quality checked - Our content writers ensure every Compare My Move article is written to the highest of standard.

Moving From London to Leeds

Ashleigh Williams

Written by Reviewed by Dave Sayce

5th May 2023 (Last updated on 16th Feb 2024) 7 minute read

Being the capital city of the UK, London is one of the most popular places to live. Given this, it’s more expensive and crowded compared to other cities and towns in the UK. Many people are looking to move out of “The Big Smoke” in search of a new area that offers a quieter pace of life.

Leeds is becoming an increasingly popular city, especially as it’s full of culture and has many things to do. The cost of living is significantly lower when compared to London too.

In this guide, we will be discussing everything you need to know when moving from London to Leeds.

  1. Why are People Moving From London to Leeds?
  2. Property Prices
  3. Travel and Commuting
  4. Work and Salary
  5. Cost of Living
  6. Education
  7. Culture/Art
  8. Nightlife/Social Scene
  9. Is it Worth Moving to Leeds from London?
  10. Removals from London to Leeds

Why are People Moving From London to Leeds?

There are many reasons why people are deciding to move from London to Leeds. The lower cost of living, property and rental prices are deciding factors for many people.

While Leeds is a smaller city compared to London, it’s still full of culture and things to do. While it’s still fairly crowded, it’s not as busy when compared to London. The city is multicultural and the transport links are great.

You can experience good city living in Leeds without the added costs of living in the capital. Being based in West Yorkshire, the city is surrounded by hills and countryside. This is great for those looking for a good balance of city and country life.

World Population Review shows that there are currently only around 530,984 people living in Leeds. In comparison to this, there are around 9,648,100 people residing in London. It’s understandable why many people choose Leeds when moving to live in a less populated city.

Property Prices

The property market in Leeds is 35% cheaper when compared to London. The average house price in Leeds is £237,043 according to the UK House Price Index. This is less expensive than London where house prices are averaged at £669,429 by Rightmove.

The best places to live in Leeds include Roundhay, Chapel Allerton and Bramhope. Affordable housing can be found in the suburbs and areas such as Holbeck and Osmondthorpe. More expensive areas include Horsforth and Calverley.

Rental costs in London are around 3 times more expensive compared to Leeds. The average rental property in Leeds costs £1,528 per month according to Home.co.uk. In London, the average rental property is £4,642.

Compare Removal Company Costs

Save up to 70% on Removal Costs

Travel and Commuting

Road links to Leeds are great as it’s in a convenient location. Motorways such as the M1, M621, and M62 help to connect Leeds to other parts of the UK. It’s a safe city to drive in, but the city centre can get quite congested at busier times of the day, making commute times longer. Even so, it’s easier to drive in Leeds compared to London.

The Leeds public transport system is convenient, especially when it comes to its bus network. There is a Metro system in place that helps to connect different parts of Leeds. There are several railway stations offering local and national services.

Leeds city centre is walkable, and cycling is encouraged. The Leeds Bradford Airport provides flights to many locations across the world, including France, Spain and Italy.

Work and Salary

£31,000 is the average salary in Leeds based on PayScale data. The city has plenty of job opportunities. Some popular job industries include retail, banking, teaching and healthcare.

Jobs in London are quite similar, with banking, the public sector and finance being the most popular options to consider.

The salary in London is quite high compared to Leeds at £41,000. People living in London are paid the London Living Wage to help offset the costs of living in the capital city. While the wages are higher, the cost of living is not always covered by this.

Cost of Living

Consumer prices in Leeds are around 19% lower in comparison to London. This makes a difference when it comes to the cost of living in each city.

Here are some cost of living examples:

Cost of Living ExamplesLondonLeeds

Public transport pass (monthly)

£160.00

£75.00

Basic utilities (monthly)

£302.86

£241.37

Fitness club membership (monthly)

£45.63

£27.71

Chicken fillets

£7.04

£6.04

Bottle of wine

£9.00

£8.00

Taxi starting price

£4.00

£4.70

Preschool

£1,553.41

£744.44

Restaurant meal for 2 people

£80.00

£55.00

Cinema ticket (one ticket)

£12.00

£8.00

*Data taken from Numbeo statistics

Compare Removal Company Costs

Save up to 70% on Removal Costs

Education

Education in Leeds and London are very similar and have good education systems. There are several high-performing schools in Leeds. This includes Horsforth School, Woodhouse Grove School and Bramhope Primary School.

There are 4 universities in Leeds. The University of Leeds is one of the biggest universities in the UK. Being a Russell Group university, its research led and ranked as one of the top universities in England.

The other 3 universities in Leeds are:

  • Leeds Beckett University
  • Leeds Trinity University
  • Leeds Art University

With 18 universities in total, London does have a higher student population. Top-performing universities in London include King’s College London and University College London.

Culture/Art

Leeds is a multicultural city and the Council of Europe has stated that it’s one of the more diverse cities in the UK with over 169 nationalities. While London is still more culturally diverse, Leeds is not far behind it.

The city celebrates art and there are some galleries such as Leeds Art Gallery, The Tetley and Henry Moore Institute. There are a few museums in Leeds, including the Royal Armouries Museum, and the Thackray Medical Museum.

There is also an Emmerdale Studio Experience and many festivals. Some of the most popular festivals in Leeds are the Leeds Festival and the Millenium Square Summer Series.

Music is particularly popular in Leeds, and there are music and live event venues dotted around the city. Some of these venues include The Venue, 02 Academy Leeds and First Direct Arena. Theatre performances and musicals are held at The Grand Theatre & Opera House Leeds, and City Varieties Music Hall.

There are many green spaces in Leeds from Roundhay Park and Golden Acre Park to Kirkstall Abbey. The city is a short drive away from the Yorkshire Dales National Park too. Football is a big part of Leed’s culture, with many people following the Leeds Football Club closely.

Nightlife/Social Scene

If you’re interested in nightlife and social scenes, Leeds is a great place to consider. It’s known for its nightlife and the buzz that surrounds this. There are many bars, clubs and restaurants to visit. Some are popular chains, such as Pryzm and others are independently owned like Headrow House.

The main street for nightlife in Leeds is Greek Street and there are several different venues to suit all tastes and preferences. Some quirky and interesting places include Cuckoo, The Wardrobe and Electric Shuffle.

When it comes to the social scene in Leeds, there are many opportunities to meet new people and experience new activities. From pub quizzes to creative writing groups, you will be able to find something appealing.

Compare Removal Company Costs

Save up to 70% on Removal Costs

Is it Worth Moving to Leeds from London?

If you want to move to a city that’s reasonably priced, has a good public transport system and is multicultural, it can be worth moving to Leeds.

Here are some of the main pros and cons of moving to Leeds:

Pros:

  • Property and rental prices are lower compared to London
  • Leeds has a lower cost of living
  • Leeds is home to high-performing universities
  • The culture, nightlife and social scenes in Leeds are great
  • Good public transport connections locally and with other areas of the UK
  • Multicultural city

Cons:

  • The weather in Leeds is particularly unpredictable and wet
  • Leeds Bradford Airport doesn’t offer as many destinations to fly to compared to London’s airports
  • Leeds can be a crowded city

Removals from London to Leeds

Leeds is located around 200 miles away from London. Given the distance, removal services will charge more money than if you were to move locally.

£975 is the average removal cost from London to Leeds. This figure was taken from our cost of moving house calculator. We took the average house price for each area and the distance travelled which helped to calculate the costs.

Many moving companies offer additional services, such as packing which come at an extra cost. These services cost on average:

  • Packing - £250
  • Dismantling and reassembling - £125

If you’re moving to Leeds from London, choosing a removals company that’s verified and trusted is essential. Here at Compare My Move, we can connect you with up to 6 of our removals partners, helping you to save up to 70% on your removal costs.

Ashleigh Williams

Having written book reviews and content for For The Love of Books for over five years, Ashleigh now creates advice articles for Compare My Move, focusing on all things home-related.

Dave Sayce

Reviewed by Dave Sayce

Owner & Managing Director, Compare My Move

Dave Sayce is the owner and managing director of Compare My Move and has over 10 years of experience in the house removals industry.

Compare and Save on Your Move

Save 70% off the Cost of Your House Move Today!