Skip to main content

Rent or buy in East of England?

In East of England the average home costs £336,300 (HM Land Registry UKHPI, April 2026) while the average private rent is £1,280 a month, or £15,360 a year (ONS PIPR, May 2026). The price-to-rent ratio is 21.9, which tends to favour renting on the conventional rule of thumb (UK average 16.3).

Price-to-rent ratio
21.9
<15 buy · 16–20 balanced · >20 rent
Average house price
£336,300
UKHPI
Average monthly rent
£1,280
ONS PIPR
Annual rent
£15,360

The price-to-rent ratio is the average house price divided by one year of rent. It is a like-for-like value signal, not a mortgage calculation: it ignores interest rates, maintenance and house-price growth, so treat it as a starting point rather than personal advice.

Similar areas by price-to-rent

See also: years of salary to buy in East of England · full house prices in East of England

Frequently asked questions

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in East of England?
In East of England the average home costs £336,300 (HM Land Registry UKHPI, April 2026) and the average private rent is £1,280 a month, or £15,360 a year (ONS PIPR, May 2026). That is a price-to-rent ratio of 21.9, which tends to favour renting on the conventional rule of thumb.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in East of England?
The price-to-rent ratio in East of England is 21.9 — the £336,300 average house price divided by £15,360 of annual rent. A ratio below 15 is usually read as favouring buying, 16–20 as balanced, and above 20 as favouring renting.
How much is rent in East of England?
The average monthly private rent in East of England is £1,280 (ONS Price Index of Private Rents, May 2026).
Does East of England favour renting or buying compared with the UK?
East of England's price-to-rent ratio of 21.9 compares with 16.3 for the UK as a whole, so relative to renting, buying here is pricier than the UK average.

Sources: house price — HM Land Registry — UK House Price Index (UKHPI) (April 2026); rent — ONS — Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics (May 2026). Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. UKHPI and ONS PIPR are published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.