These are the UK's most (and least) affordable cities to live in

The results may surprise you.

Finding an affordable place to live in the UK is the ultimate mission. And with UK house prices increasing at a far faster rate than our salaries - with the average British home now costing £261,221 - it's only getting harder.

In many cases, factors such as location of job, family and friends will limit people to buying in certain areas. But if you've got a bit more freedom and simply want to find a cheap place to live in the UK, you'll want to take a close look at Halfiax's new index of the most - and least - affordable cities to buy in.

After comparing each city's average salary to its average house price in 2021, Halifax has calculated a price-to-earnings ratio, identifying where your income will go furthest. The average price-to-earnings ratio in cities across the country is 8.1, having increased from 5.6 in 2013, but there are certain areas where it's much higher - and others where it's far lower.

While you might assume that London is the least affordable place to live in the UK, it's actually Winchester in Hampshire that's been rated as most expensive in comparison to the average salary in the area. In fact, London doesn't even make it into the top five least affordable UK cities. On the other end of the scale, Derry in Northern Ireland has been highlighted as the most affordable city when you weigh up wage and house prices. So without further ado, here are the full lists...

The UK's most affordable cities to live in 2021:

1. Derry, Northern Ireland

Average house price: £155,917 Average salary: £33,138 Price-to-earnings ratio: 4.7

=2. Carlisle, North

Average house price: £163,232 Average salary: £34,087 Price-to-earnings ratio: 4.8

=2. Bradford, Yorkshire and the Humber

Average house price: £164,410 Average salary: £34,219 Price-to-earnings ratio: 4.8

=4. Stirling, Scotland

Average house price: £208,927 Average salary: £38,744 Price-to-earnings ratio: 5.4

=4. Aberdeen, Scotland

Average house price: £205,199 Average salary: £38,016 Price-to-earnings ratio: 5.4

=4. Glasgow, Scotland

Average house price: £196,625 Average salary: £36,205 Price-to-earnings ratio: 5.4

7. Perth, Scotland

Average house price: £203,229 Average salary: £36,700 Price-to-earnings ratio: 5.5

=8. Inverness, Scotland

Average house price: £191,840 Average salary: £34,373 Price-to-earnings ratio: 5.6

=8. Hull, Yorkshire and the Humber

Average house price: £156,424 Average salary: £27,730 Price-to-earnings ratio: 5.6

10. Dundee, Scotland

Average house price: £181,150 Average salary: £31,344 Price-to-earnings ratio: 5.8

11. Sunderland, North

Average house price: £179,567 Average salary: £29,745 Price-to-earnings ratio: 6.0

12. Lisburn, Northern Ireland

Average house price: £203,386 Average salary: £33,138 Price-to-earnings ratio: 6.1

=13. Salford, North West

Average house price: £211,903 Average salary: £34,444 Price-to-earnings ratio: 6.2

=13. Durham, North

Average house price: £196,274 Average salary: £31,762 Price-to-earnings ratio: 6.2

=13. Liverpool, North West

Average house price: £215,741 Average salary: £34,911 Price-to-earnings ratio: 6.2

=13. Belfast, Northern Ireland

Average house price: £205,228 Average salary: £33,138 Price-to-earnings ratio: 6.2

=13. Lancaster, North West

Average house price: £217,392 Average salary: £35,004 Price-to-earnings ratio: 6.2

18. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, North

Average house price: £229,434 Average salary: £36,212 Price-to-earnings ratio: 6.3

19. Stoke-on-Trent, West Midlands

Average house price: £200,161 Average salary: £30,698 Price-to-earnings ratio: 6.5

20. Hereford, West Midlands

Average house price: £316,929 Average salary: £48,048 Price-to-earnings ratio: 6.6

The UK's least affordable cities to live in 2021:

1. Winchester, South East

Average house price: £630,432 Average salary: £45,059 Price-to-earnings ratio: 14.0

2. Oxford, South East

Average house price: £486,928 Average salary: £39,220 Price-to-earnings ratio: 12.4

=3. Truro, South West

Average house price: £356,788 Average salary: £29,558 Price-to-earnings ratio: 12.1

=3. Bath, South West

Average house price: £476,470 Average salary: £39,508 Price-to-earnings ratio: 12.1

5. Chichester, South East

Average house price: £446,899 Average salary: £37,352 Price-to-earnings ratio: 10.6

6. Cambridge, East Anglia

Average house price: £482,300 Average salary: £40,492 Price-to-earnings ratio: 11.9

7. Brighton and Hove, South East

Average house price: £449,243 Average salary: £38,737 Price-to-earnings ratio: 11.6

8. London, South East

Average house price: £564,695 Average salary: £51,257 Price-to-earnings ratio: 11.0

=9. St Albans, South East

Average house price: £604,423 Average salary: £59,391 Price-to-earnings ratio: 10.2

=9. Chelmsford, South East

Average house price: £424,690 Average salary: £41,781 Price-to-earnings ratio: 10.2

11. Salisbury, South West

Average house price: £392,355 Average salary: £39,154 Price-to-earnings ratio: 10.0

12. Exeter, South West

Average house price: £323,554 Average salary: £32,635 Price-to-earnings ratio: 9.9

13. Leicester, East Midlands

Average house price: £279,080 Average salary: £28,725 Price-to-earnings ratio: 9.7

14. Norwich, East Anglia

Average house price: £306,946 Average salary: £32,632 Price-to-earnings ratio: 9.4

15. Bristol, South West

Average house price: £346,902 Average salary: £37,357 Price-to-earnings ratio: 9.3

=16. Southampton, South East

Average house price: £310,435 Average salary:  £34,429 Price-to-earnings ratio: 9.0

=16. Canterbury, South East

Average house price: £365,168 Average salary: £40,565 Price-to-earnings ratio: 9.0

=16. Gloucester, South West

Average house price: £287,600 Average salary: £31,987 Price-to-earnings ratio: 9.0

19. Worcester, West Midlands

Average house price: £303,132 Average salary: £34,389 Price-to-earnings ratio: 8.8

20. Cardiff, Wales

Average house price: £276,851 Average salary: £31,946 Price-to-earnings ratio: 8.7