Is £34,000 a good salary in Bristol?

Question

I have been offered a job in Bristol on £34k in the public sector (Higher Education). I currently work in London and this salary seems low to me, but taking local costs of living into consideration is this a reasonable salary to live on in or around the Bristol area?

Answer 1

£34k isn't a bad salary in any city other than London. You need to take into account house prices. Generally, mortgage lenders will give you 3x your annual salary, or possibly 3.5 times the joint salaries of you and your partner.

Have a look at the sort of property you might wish to buy, and then make a 'speculative' visit to a mortgage lender to find out if they would be willing to lend based on your salary/joint salaries.

Hope this helps.