The Ultimate Guide to Moving to Brighton

Just 50 miles south of London on the Sussex Coast, Brighton is a very desirable location for students, families, commuters, and young professionals alike to move to.

With a beautiful coastline to explore, the South Downs on your doorstep, and property prices lower than London, Brighton has much to offer its residents.

In this guide to moving to Brighton, you will find all the information you need to help you choose the ideal part of Brighton to move to.

Should I Move to Brighton?

There are plenty of reasons why people choose Brighton as their new home, it has much to offer everyone.

And there is no denying that living by the sea is a dream move for many people, but if we had to choose just 6 reasons why you should move to Brighton, these would  be them:

• The beach. OK, it is not a swathe of endless golden sand, but living near the beach has got to be a plus on anyone’s home moving pros list.
• South Downs. What could be better than having all the benefits of living in a city whilst being just 15 minutes from some stunning countryside?
• Quality of life. Brighton is about an hour’s commute from London by train. Property is cheaper than in London, so you get far more home for your money. People in Brighton are more active because of the beautiful scenery and the fact that Brighton is so walkable. Throw in some great schools and universities, a thriving local job market, unlimited things to do in your leisure time, and your quality of life is bound to improve when you move to Brighton.
• Unique shops. Brighton has every high street brand you can think of, but the real shopping gems are found in the countless number of unique and independent stores that can be found all over the city.
• Great transport links. Not so important for residents of Brighton, unless they are commuters, but you will find people queuing up to come to visit you when you move to Brighton. Luckily they are well served by great motorways, and rail links from all parts of the UK.

You may also like to read: The Pros and Cons of Moving to the Southeast. In this guide, we explore all the major towns and cities in the Southeast of England to help you decide where to move to next.

Is Brighton a Safe Place to Live?

A survey for the TV channel Crime and Investigation, reported at www.theargus.co.uk, and www.mirror.co.uk, found that Brighton was the 3rd safest city in the UK to live in.

OnePoll carried out a survey that placed Brighton as the 9^th safest city in the UK based on cities with a population of over 200,000.

In the Times Higher Education survey of students in the UK, Brighton University was ranked 100^th in the country for providing good security for the students there.

To see what the latest crime figures are for the specific area you are moving to Brighton in visit www.police.uk

You may also like to read: Choosing Where to Live. Location, Location, Location. Now you have decided that Brighton is the place for you, the next consideration is exactly where to live. In this guide, we look at the pros and cons of living near the shops, on a main road, by a park, open fields, a school, or by a river.

What is the Average Property Rental Cost in Brighton?

• The average rental cost of a 1 bedroom home in Brighton is £1,369 pcm
• The average rental cost of a 2 Bedroom home in Brighton is £1,868 pcm
• The average rental cost of a 3 Bedroom home in Brighton is £2,401 pcm
• The average rental cost of a 4 Bedroom home in Brighton is £2,781 pcm

Average rental costs are taken from www.home.co.uk April 2024

What is the Average Property Price in Brighton?

• The average price of a semi-detached home in Brighton is £582,620
• The average price of a terraced home in Brighton is £617,545
• The average price of a flat in Brighton is £356,771

The latest average home costs are taken from www.rightmove.co.uk April 2024

Is Brighton an Expensive Place to Live?

According to www.numbeo.com, the average monthly costs excluding rent or mortgage repayments are:

• A single person on average will need £893.80 pm to cover living costs in Brighton
• A family of 4 on average needs an income of £3,024.20 pm to cover living costs in Brighton

Cost of Living in Brighton vs Major UK Cities

According to data from www.expatisan.com here is a comparison of the cost of living in Brighton with other major UK cities

• The cost of living in Brighton is 42% cheaper than in London
• The cost of living in Brighton is 5% cheaper than in Birmingham
• The cost of living in Brighton is 32% cheaper than in Leeds
• The cost of living in Brighton is 35% cheaper than in Liverpool
• The cost of living in Brighton is 7% more expensive than York
• The cost of living in Brighton is 22% more expensive than Leicester
• The cost of living in Brighton is 10% more expensive than Glasgow
• The cost of living in Brighton is about the same as in Edinburgh
• The cost of living in Brighton is 15% cheaper than in Bristol
• The cost of living in Brighton is 13% more expensive than Plymouth

You can check out how the cost of living compares in Brighton with your current hometown at www.expatistan.com

You may also like to read: Is Life Better in the Countryside, the Suburbs, or the City? Brighton has some wonderful properties in some stunning locations. In this guide we look at the pros and cons of living in the heart of the action, in the suburbs, or the countryside, to help you choose which is the best location for you.

How Much Does it Cost to Move to Brighton?

How much does it cost to move a 1-2 Bedroom home to Brighton?

Obviously, each home move is different, and the only way to get an accurate removal cost estimate is to request an in-home survey from a reputable removal company.

Must do: Get a home removal cost estimate for free.

But to give you a rough idea, excluding packing costs, you can expect to pay on average the following home moving costs when hiring a professional removal firm to move you to Brighton.

• Moving from London to Brighton costs an average of £1,015
• Moving from Birmingham to Brighton costs on average £1,615
• Moving from Leeds to Brighton on average costs £1,750
• Moving from Liverpool to Brighton costs about £1,580
• Moving from York to Brighton costs about £1,775
• Moving from Leicester to Brighton costs about £1,595
• Moving from Glasgow to Brighton costs about £2,095
• Moving from Edinburgh to Brighton costs about £2,100
• Moving from Bristol to Brighton costs about £1,585
• Moving from Plymouth to Brighton on average costs £1,685

On average expect to pay about £275-£475 for a professional packing service for a 1-2 bedroom home.

You may also like to read: How much is the average cost to move a 1-2 bedroom home? In this guide, we look at how much the various ways of moving to Brighton cost so that you can choose the best option for your budget.

How much does it cost to move a 3-bedroom home to Brighton?

• Moving from London to Brighton on average costs £1,150
• Moving from Birmingham to Brighton on average costs £1,750
• Moving from Leeds to Brighton on average costs £1,885
• Moving from Liverpool to Brighton on average costs £1,815
• Moving from York to Brighton on average costs £1,910
• Moving from Leicester to Brighton on average costs £1,730
• Moving from Glasgow to Brighton on average costs £2,230
• Moving from Edinburgh to Brighton on average costs £2,235
• Moving from Bristol to Brighton on average costs £1,720
• Moving from Plymouth to Brighton on average costs £1,820

On average expect to pay about £450-£950 for a professional packing service for a 3 bedroom home.

You may also like to read: How much is the average cost to move a 3-bedroom home? In this guide, we look at the average cost of all the various moving options to Brighton so that you can choose the best for your budget.

Where are the Best Areas to Live in Brighton?

Thinking of moving to the Brighton area?

Here is a Brighton neighbourhood guide with the best places to rent or buy a home in the Brighton area.

• Preston Park for commuters. Just 1 mile from the city centre, and home to the largest park, and festival venue, in Brighton. Preston Park has a train station for commuters, some great schools, and many beautiful large Victorian homes.
• Hove Park for families. There is a fine range of homes here including large detached, semis, and bungalows. In Hove Park, you will find some of the best primary schools in the city, easy access to the A23 and A27 and you are just minutes from the city centre. Hove Park is home to a 20-ton Druidic stone, tennis courts, a miniature railway, a bowling green, a cycle track, a play area, and a café. It is also one of the most sought-after places to live in Brighton.
• Hanover for families and students. A more affordable part of Brighton but still less than a mile from Brighton train station. There are some excellent primary schools in the area as well as a broad range of homes. Hanover has more of a community feel than many areas in Brighton, with lots of local events, some great local pubs, and plenty of restaurants.
• Kemp Town for young professionals. This area is also popular with students as there are plenty of rentals and flats here. Kemp Town has some great bars and clubs, is right on the beach, and has a great range of local shops.

Which are the Most Expensive Streets to Live in Brighton?

www.theargus.co.uk published a list of the most expensive streets in Brighton.

The 3 most expensive streets to buy a home in Brighton are:

• Western Esplanade BN1 where the average home costs £1,500,000
• Montpelier Villas BN1 where the average home costs £2,150,000
• Roedean Way BN1 where the average home costs £1,725,000

You may also like to read: Which is More Important: Home or Location? In this guide, we suggest 31 things to consider when choosing a home or location.

Moving to Brighton Alone

Are you thinking of moving to Brighton alone, perhaps as a student or for work? Is Brighton a good place to live for single people?

Here are some essential things to know when moving to Brighton as a single person.

• Consider renting a room in a shared house, or flat sharing, if you want to save some money, get to know the area, and make instant friends in Brighton. Useful websites for finding rooms to rent in Brighton include: gumtree.co.uk, www.spareroom.co.uk, or www.nestpick.com
• Join local social media groups to find out all the best places to go and discover more about life in Brighton.
• meetup.com has plenty of local groups to join so that you quickly find new friends and get to learn all about living in Brighton.
• Consider volunteering in your spare time, it is a great way to meet new people and help the local community at the same time. www.bhcommunityworks.org.uk will give you some great ideas.

You may also like to read: Can I Move to A New City Alone? In this guide, we offer some tips about moving to a new city alone to make your move easier and cheaper and settling in easier as well.

Living in Brighton as a Student

If you have been accepted as a student in Brighton or are considering becoming one, then you will find plenty of essential information in this section.

According to QS rankings, Brighton is in the top 10 of the best cities to study in the UK and the top 100 worldwide.

How many universities are in Brighton? In Brighton, there are 2 universities and 6 colleges.

How many students are in Brighton? There are over 21,000 students who study at the University of Brighton and over 17,000 at the University of Sussex.

How much does it cost to live on campus in Brighton?

• For the year 2023-2024, Brighton University charged £153 per week for a self-catered room.
• Sussex University charges between £119-£208 per week for campus accommodation.

Click on the links below for lots of useful advice about living in Brighton as a student.

• The University of Brighton
• University of Sussex 
• Varndean College
• Plumpton College
• BHASVIC 
• Brighton College 
• Brighton Metropolitan College

There is lots of useful information for new university students at the Brighton Student Union website.

These are useful websites if you are looking to rent a place off-campus:

• Brighton.ac.uk
• accomodationforstudents.com
• sturents.com
• student.com

You may also like to read: All You Need to Know About Moving to a College. In this guide, we share tips to make moving to Brighton as a student easier and cheaper.

Moving to Brighton with Family

Brighton is a great place to raise a family with so many exciting and interesting things to do, being so close to some stunning countryside, and having all the support and amenities that a city can offer a family.

Brighton offers the best of both worlds, easy access to London for commuters, whilst being far enough away that property is more affordable.

You will also want to know about healthcare in Brighton so visit www.nhs.co.uk to find local doctors, dentists, healthcare specialists, and hospitals.

Which are the best areas of Brighton for families?

• Queens Park has plenty of large 3-bedroom plus-sized homes with a great community feel to the area. Tarnerland and Royal Spa are well-regarded state nurseries in this area. Queens Park, St. Lukes, and Elm Grove are popular infant and junior schools in Queens Park.
• Fiveways / Preston Park has many Victorian / Edwardian properties. Downs Infants and Junior, Balfour Infants and Juniors, Dorothy Stringer, and Varndean are popular schools in this area. There are plenty of local shops and Preston Park is local too. The London mainline station at Preston Park is within walking distance.
• Withdean / Westdean is an up-and-coming area and prices tend to be slightly lower here than the more fashionable areas.
• Hove is also very popular for families, with a great seafront and slightly cheaper properties.

Read on to find out which are the best-rated schools in Brighton

You may also like to read: How to Decide Where to Live Next. In this guide, we suggest 12 things to take into consideration when choosing where your new home will be.

Which are the Best Schools in Brighton?

www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk lists the following as the best schools in Brighton.

Top 5 Primary Schools in Brighton and Hove

• Bilingual Primary School BN3
• Coombe Road Primary School BN2
• Carlton Hill Primary School BN2
• Bevendean Primary School BN2
• Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School BN1

Top 5 Secondary Schools in Brighton in Hove

• Varndean School BN1
• Dorothy Stringer School BN1
• Kings School BN3
• Blatchington Mill School BN3
• Cardinal Newman Catholic School BN3

Best Performing ‘A’ Level Schools for 16-18 year olds

• Brighton Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College BN3
• Roedean School BN2
• Brighton College BN2
• Cardinal Newman Catholic School BN3
• Varndean College BN1

Is There Much Employment in Brighton?

Not only is Brighton a great place to live, but it offers some great employment opportunities, as well as being a commutable distance from London.

So who are the biggest employers in Brighton?

• Domestic and General
• American Express
• Lloyds Bank

There is a thriving creative and digital media industry in Brighton with some of the top tech companies making Brighton their base such as I Crossing and Madgex. In fact, www.cbronline.com likens Brighton to the UK’s Tech Hub.

Here are some websites which will help you find employment in Brighton and Hove.

• brightonandhovejobs.com
• totaljobs.com
• jobsite.co.uk
• reed.co.uk

What are the Best Ways of Getting Around Brighton?

• Walking. Brighton is a very easy city to get around on foot with the main central areas within an easy 15-minute walk. You can download free walking maps of Brighton at www.visitbrighton.com

• Bicycle. Brighton and Hove are great to cycle around and the seafront is even part of the National Cycle Network. There are plenty of free spaces to leave your bike at too. You can download a free cycle map of Brighton and Hove at www.brightonandhovecyclemap.co.uk

• Bus. To find out local bus times, plan a journey, or buy tickets visit www.buses.co.uk

• Taxi. You can find a map of all the taxi ranks in Brighton at www.brighton-hove.gov.uk

• Car. There are a number of different parking zones within Brighton which can be viewed here.

Many residential areas operate a resident’s parking permit scheme, more of which you can learn about here.

• Train. Commuters and travelers alike will find lots of useful information about trains from and to Brighton at www.thetrainline.com

You may also like to read: Is Retiring to the City a Good Idea? Brighton offers easy access to all the amenities that you would find in the best large towns and cities in the UK. In this guide, we look at the pros and cons of moving to the city in retirement.

What is There to do in Brighton for Free?

There is so much to see and do in Brighton.

But it is even better when you get to experience parts of Brighton for free, so what does Brighton have to offer you for a free day out?

Well, apart from wonderful strolls and days out on the beach, or along the marina watching the boats come and go, here are our top 5 things to do in Brighton for free.

What can you do for free in Brighton?

• South Downs National Park. Walk the South Downs Way, see the White Cliffs at Seven Sisters, or enjoy Devil’s Dyke. It is a stunning part of the country and will be right on your doorstep when you move to Brighton.
• Pavilion Gardens. Enjoy listening to a live band, or just admire the fauna of the park whilst relaxing in this fully restored regency garden.
• Hove Museum and Art Gallery. Visit the Wizard’s attic to see toys of bygone times, and learn about Hove’s role in the birth of cinema as well as two contemporary craft galleries.
• North Laine. Wander around the unique and independent shops in North Laine.
• Stamner Park. Just on the outskirts of Brighton this is a lovely place for a stroll with the dog or walk through the beautiful woodland. Stanmer Village, an 18th-century working village, with Stanmer House as its focal point is well worth a visit too.

You may also like to read: Choosing Where to Live in the UK to Avoid Climate Change. One of your concerns about moving to Brighton may be how the area will be affected by climate change. In this guide, we share an interactive map of how climate change is expected to affect certain parts of the UK over the next 20 years.

The Best of Brighton

If you are moving to Brighton you will probably be overwhelmed with the number of things to do, the great restaurants, bars, and clubs. So here is our top 5 of the best of Brighton.

Top 5 Restaurants in Brighton

These are the top 5 rated restaurants as ranked by www.tripadvisor.com

• Baqueano, Western Road BN1
• The Witchez Photo Design Café Bar, Marine Parade BN2
• Mediterraneo Restaurant, Clyde Road BN1
• Compass Point Eatery, Kings Road BN1
• The Station Hotel Pub and Kitchen, Hampstead Road BN1

Top 5 Pubs in Brighton

www.tripadvisor.com lists these 5 as the top bars in Brighton

• The Geese, Southover Street BN2
• The Walrus, Ship Street BN1
• The Farm Tavern, Farm Road BN3
• The Hartingdon Pub, Whippingham Road BN2
• The Hope and Ruin, Queens Road BN1

Top 5 Clubs in Brighton

These are the top 5 nightclubs in Brighton as rated by www.designmynight.com

• No 32, Duke Street BN1
• Revolution Brighton, West Street BN1
• Patterns, Marine Parade BN2
• Chalk, Pool Valley BN1
• Coalition, Kings Road Arches BN1

Top Local Brighton Removal Firms

Luckily there are some great removal companies that can help you with your home move to Brighton.

Finding top-rated local removal companies to move you to Brighton is an important step to experiencing a stress-free home move. It is vitally important to choose your removal company wisely as all removal firms are not equal, unfortunately.

You may also like to read: How to Pick a Good Removal Company. The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide. In this guide, we take you step-by-step through the process of choosing the best removal company for your move to Brighton.

• Find great local Brighton removal firms here.
• Find a local removal company to move you to Brighton here.

You will likely have many more questions regarding your home move, so be sure to visit our resources section where you will find a wealth of useful information to make your home move easier, cheaper, and safer.

Brighton is clearly a very desirable place to move to, so good luck in your new home.