The cheap city in Wales where commuters working in England move to snatch a bargain

Increasing house prices and a competitive rental market are making it hard for people to find their perfect homes in popular UK cities. Instead, some people opt to live a short commute away from where they work in order to save some money.

Newport, in Wales, is popular for commuters to Bristol and other big cities in the UK. It offers a more affordable cost of living while still providing a quick commute. According to property studies by Zoopla, Newport has become a "commuter hotspot" for those working in Bristol. The city, which had a population of 159,600 in 2021, was made more appealing by the removal of polls on the M48 Severn Bridge in 2018.

It takes just 19 minutes to reach Bristol on the train from Newport. There are currently 70 trains a day which run between the two cities, giving commuters plenty of time options.

The cities are also just 30 miles apart which equates to a journey of around 40 minutes in the car. For those heading further afield, it takes around 90 minutes to reach London from Newport.

Property site Rightmove says that house prices in Newport have an overall average of £248,967 over the last year. This is significantly lower than Bristol where homes sold for an average of £393,103.

Meanwhile, terraced properties in Newport sold for an average of £185,294 and semi-detached homes went for £242,698. These figures are £405,752 and £436,359 in Bristol respectively.

In 2018, tolls on the westbound crossings from England into Wales were removed to boost trade between the nations. They had been in place since the first Severn Bridge opened in 1966.

Daniel Copley, consumer expert at Zoopla, previously explained how people can save money by buying a home outside of their city of work.

He said: "As we've seen, the move back to more time in the office is back on the agenda for a vast number of people in the UK.

"With affordability becoming an increasingly important consideration for home buyers, many are having to widen their search area and need help to understand their options."

He added: "The savings on offer are substantial, especially for those commuting into major regional cities like Newcastle and Cardiff, where buying a home just an hour outside of the city can save you a massive 61%."