If you’re moving to the UK and are wondering about the best places to live and work, we have you covered. To give you a heads up, London is the most expensive place with extremely high real estate costs. However, there are other gorgeous places to live in the UK too. 

Most UK-based businesses are making the shift in hiring international talent due to the changes in the immigration laws leading to skilled labour shortage post-Brexit. Many local businesses are now applying for the sponsor licence in the UK to help get the documentation and paperwork in order. With the mass exodus of people into the UK for work, there has been a remarkable increase in the total UK Skilled Worker Visas issued in the past year and a half. Considering the new migration of highly skilled professionals and their families, there has also been an interest in shifting to other larger cities (apart from London) and making lives and careers in the UK. 

With the influx of international workers, there has been an interest in experiencing the great British countryside and living a little closer to nature. 

Let us look at some of the best cities to live and work in the UK.

Birmingham:

Birmingham is the UK’s second-largest city. Most people consider it to be as large as London, but it usually isn’t on the radar for expats shifting to the UK. However, Birmingham should be on the list! It has a rich industrial history, plenty of areas for shopping, an excellent commercial district with plenty of job opportunities for mainstream and passive incomes, and is quite multicultural.

Birmingham also has some great schools, affordable housing for purchase and rentals, quite picturesque, and easy access to nature escapes thanks to its excellent location. There are plenty of food options, canal-side dining places, and more per-kilometre canals than Venice, and it is also the home ground of Cadbury chocolate!

Glasgow:

Glasgow in gorgeous Scotland is very different from a few decades back. Glasgow, which was once considered an industrial town, is now one of the most happening places in the UK. Most expats choose Glasgow over London to shift since it is a modern-looking city with a historical past, wonderful architectural gems, and an overall great place to live and work, with excellent food, shopping, nightlife, and social life, and living options. 

The famous West End of Glasgow is popular with young professionals, expats, and students, while the centre has a mix of traditional and modern-style homes. Towards the south, the Queen’s Park area is another up and coming affordable area for good quality housing. The ‘Clockwork Orange’ as the locals call it, or properly known as the city metro, has excellent connectivity and makes travel relatively easy. Just 30 kilometres outside Glasgow are the Trossachs National Park and Loch Lomond. 

Brighton:

Beautiful, sunny Brighton on the southern side of England is packed with beautiful places to see, gorgeous weather, elegant housing, Regency-style homes, and sandy beaches. Brighton is home to the UK’s largest LGBTQ communities, and they even have an annual parade that is celebrated with much pomp and good fun!

With its excellent family values, culture, and sportsman spirit, Brighton is also a Premier League Football Club and is often referred to as ‘London by the sea.’ From the liberal feeling in Kemptown to hilly Hanover, Brighton is quite appealing to expats wishing to have an excellent work-life balance. Since Brighton has so many young professionals, there is also tremendous scope for entrepreneurship and setting up a business. 

Cardiff:

Cardiff is one of the most cost-effective and affordable places in the UK to live. The housing market is excellent; it has lots of families, outstanding schools and colleges, and is a great place to raise a family. With an honest-to-God castle (Cardiff Castle) in the city centre, Cardiff has some excellent shopping streets (surrounding the castle). Cardiff also has the Principality Stadium, known for its rugby matches. If you’re lucky, you can see the national rugby team practising!

Since the city is compact yet beautiful, travelling and moving around becomes much more accessible than other cities. There are modern waterfront residential apartments at Cardiff Bay, with Leafy Pontcanna popular with young families and professionals. The local population is quite welcoming of expats, and they welcome an infusion of new ideas, food, and culture. Cardiff is well known for its outdoor sports, and you can find many professionals cycling to work. 

Apart from these cities, there is also Edinburgh with its elegant Georgian New Town, Reading just outside central London, and Manchester with its incredible personality to consider.