Revealed: London’s 10 most affordable commuter towns
As the prices of annual train tickets continue to rise, life just got that bit trickier for those commuting into London every day.
But for people living in the Essex town of Grays, it is not all bad, after it was revealed as the as the most affordable London commuter town.
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The report, written by Zoopla, combines the annual cost of a mortgage and a season ticket to get into work.
Grays took the top spot, offering a combined yearly cost of £15,008, with a 41-minute commute into Fenchurch Street station.
Leagrave in Bedfordshire came second, where home-owning commuters can travel to St Pancras in 55 minutes at a total annual cost of £15,399.
Crayford in Kent followed closely in third with a combined price of £15,662, with 41-minute commute to Charing Cross.
Laura Howard, consumer expert at Zoopla, said: “As the new season ticket prices come into effect this month, much to the frustration of millions of commuters across Britain, those looking to relocate to save money should pay close attention to these figures.
“The past decade has seen significant property price growth in prime London commuter belt towns but despite of this our analysis still picks out pockets across south east England that represent affordable value for commuters.
Here are the top 10 most affordable London commuter towns
| Town | Average annual mortgage costs | Season ticket cost | Combined cost | Travel time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grays | £12,492 | £2,516 | £15,008 | 39 mins |
| Leagrave | £10,971 | £4,428 | £15,399 | 55 mins |
| Crayford | £13,523 | £2,140 | £15,663 | 41 mins |
| Basildon | £12,786 | £3,020 | £15,806 | 37 mins |
| Harlow | £12,415 | £3,544 | £15,959 | 41 mins |
| Dartford | £13,523 | £2,628 | £16,151 | 48 mins |
| Hockley | £14,380 | £1,792 | £16,172 | 51 mins |
| Stevenage | £12,289 | £3,964 | £16,253 | 36 mins |
| Billericay | £12,786 | £3,696 | £16,482 | 38 mins |
| Gravesend | £12,876 | £3,672 | £16,548 | 60 mins |
For commuters to Bristol, across the water in Wales, Newport (Gwent) comes in first place with combined costs of £10,166 and a travel time of 35 minutes into Bristol Temple Meads station.
Heading up to Birmingham, Wolverhampton presents the best value (£7,483) with a commute time of 20 minutes.
Moving further north to Manchester, Hindley is the town that takes the top-spot with combined costs of £6,883 and a 58-minute journey.
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Meanwhile, those working in Edinburgh should consider moving to Dunfermline to get the most affordable commute (32-minute journey). Here a combined annual mortgage and season ticket will cost £7,530 a year.
Howard added: “Areas outside London and the south east are generally more affordable, but commuters can still save money on their daily travel into the likes of Birmingham and Bristol by looking at towns they might not have yet considered, but still have good transport links.”