As the rail ticket price hike kicks in, here are the most cost-effective places for commuters to live.
Colchester in Essex has topped the list as the best value commuter hotspot for London.
According to Zoopla’s Commuters Affordability Index, Britain’s oldest recorded town offers the cheapest combined annual mortgage and season ticket costs of £13,288, with a 49-minute commute into Liverpool Street station.
At the other end of the scale, St Albans, Hertfordshire, was named the priciest commuter town, with combined costs of £21,405. However, travelling into London takes just 21 minutes.
For sale: Five-bedroom semi-detached house on Creffield Road, Colchester, for £825,000
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Top 10 best value commuter towns into London (ranked by cost)
Rank |
Town |
Average annual mortgage costs |
Season ticket cost 2019 |
Combined annual mortgage and season ticket cost |
Travel time |
| 1. | Colchester | £9,036 | £4,252 | £13,288 | 49 minutes |
| 2. | Huntingdon | £8,871 | £4,496 | £13,367 | 57 mins |
| 3. | Peterborough | £6,550 | £7,068 | £13,618 | 49 mins |
| 4. | Manningtree | £8,141 | £5,612 | £13,753 | 59 mins |
| 5. | Bedford | £9,369 | £4,568 | £13,937 | 47 mins |
| 6. | Milton Keynes | £9,436 | £4,600 | £14,036 | 44 mins |
| 7. | Sittingbourne | £9,276 | £4,836 | £14,112 | 59 mins |
| 8. | Luton | £9,337 | £4,988 | £14,325 | 32 mins |
| 9. | Chatham | £9,319 | £5,240 | £14,559 | 43 mins |
| 10. | Folkestone | £9,155 | £5,424 | £14,579 | 57 mins |
Commuting into Bristol
Moving westwards, Wales dominates the rankings for Bristol, with two of the three top commuter towns into the city located there. Cwmbran comes in first place, with modest combined costs of £7,535 and a commute time of 58 minutes.
But for those prioritising convenience over cost, Bath Spa offers a commute time of just 14 minutes but with a price premium of £13,536.
For sale: Four-bedroom detached house in Henllys, Cwmbran, for £399,950
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Top 5 best value commuter towns into Bristol (ranked by cost)
Rank |
Town |
Average annual mortgage costs |
Season ticket cost 2019 |
Combined annual mortgage and season ticket cost |
Travel time |
| 1. | Cwmbran | £4,839 | £2,696 | £7,535 | 58 mins |
| 2. | Newport (Gwent) | £5,373 | £3,020 | £8,393 | 35 mins |
| 3. | Taunton | £7,241 | £3,104 | £10,345 | 37 mins |
| 4. | Bridgwater | £7,370 | £3,156 | £10,526 | 55 mins |
| 5. | Gloucester | £6,804 | £3,848 | £10,652 | 54 mins |
Commuting into Birmingham
Heading up to Birmingham, Wolverhampton offers the best value (£5,946) with a commute time of just 17 minutes, compared with the county town of Warwick, which is the costliest at £14,122 and a 24-minute travel time.
For sale: Seven-bedroom semi-detached house in Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, for £340,000
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Top 5 best value commuter towns into Birmingham (ranked by cost)
Rank |
Town |
Average annual mortgage costs |
Season ticket cost 2019 |
Combined annual mortgage and season ticket cost |
Travel time |
| 1. | Wolverhampton | £5,101 | £845 | £5,946 | 16 mins |
| 2. | Rowley Regis | £5,379 | £680 | £6,059 | 19 mins |
| 3. | Stoke-On-Trent | £4,006 | £3,184 | £7,190 | 49 mins |
| 4. | Telford Central | £5,446 | £1,876 | £7,322 | 36 mins |
| 5. | Derby | £5,451 | £3,416 | £8,867 | 37 mins |
Commuting into Manchester
Burnley takes the top spot, with costs of £4,923 and a 45-minute travel time. Conversely, Altrincham is the most expensive place to commute from, costing £10,519 and a 27-minute travel time.
For sale: Seven-bedroom house on Billington Road, Burnley, for £600,000
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Top 5 best value commuter towns into Manchester (ranked by cost)
Rank |
Town |
Average annual mortgage costs |
Season ticket cost 2019 |
Combined annual mortgage and season ticket cost |
Travel time |
| 1. | Burnley | £3,047 | £1,876 | £4,923 | 45 mins |
| 2. | Rochdale | £4,396 | £1,192 | £5,588 | 15 mins |
| 3. | Accrington | £3,720 | £1,876 | £5,596 | 57 mins |
| 4. | Blackburn | £3,959 | £1,876 | £5,835 | 50 mins |
| 5. | St Helens | £4,164 | £2,032 | £6,196 | 49 mins |
Commuting into Edinburgh
Commuters in Motherwell are the least hit in the pocket, with combined mortgage and travel costs of £5,639 and a 48-minute commute. And coastal Delmany is the priciest commuter hotspot at £10,366, but comes with a convenient travel time of 20 minutes.
For sale: Four-bedroom detached house on Jerviston Street, Motherwell, for £350,000
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Top 5 best value commuter towns into Edinburgh (ranked by cost)
Rank |
Town |
Average annual mortgage costs |
Season ticket cost 2019 |
Combined annual mortgage and season ticket cost |
Travel time |
| 1. | Motherwell | £3,763 | £1,876 | £5,639 | 48 mins |
| 2. | Falkirk | £4,110 | £1,876 | £5,986 | 30 mins |
| 3. | Carluke | £4,250 | £1,876 | £6,126 | 54 mins |
| 4. | Bathgate | £5,155 | £1,192 | £6,347 | 28 mins |
| 5. | Interkeithing | £4,679 | £2,032 | £6,711 | 27 mins |