United Kingdom · Local Authorities · Compare
Cardiff vs Rhondda Cynon Taff
Cardiff (Wales · ~369k people) · Rhondda Cynon Taff (Wales · ~242k people)
Of 5 strictly-comparable measures: Cardiff leads on 2, Rhondda Cynon Taff on 3. Which trade-offs matter is yours to weigh — the rows below show where each one wins.
Head to head
Median pay
ONS ASHE (residence) · 2025
Cardiff
£37,024/yr
Worse than 74% of UK LAs
Rhondda Cynon Taff
£34,606/yr
Worse than 95% of UK LAs
Cardiff: 7% higher median pay.
House price
ONS HPSSA-9 median · Year ending Sep 2025
Cardiff
£266,000
Around UK average
Rhondda Cynon Taff
£160,000
Better than 94% of UK LAs
Rhondda Cynon Taff: 66% lower median price.
Monthly rent
ONS PIPR (newly-signed lets) · 2026-03
Cardiff
£1,157/mo
Worse than 61% of UK LAs
Rhondda Cynon Taff
£744/mo
Better than 83% of UK LAs
Rhondda Cynon Taff: 56% lower median rent.
Council tax (Band D)
Welsh Gov · 2026-27
Cardiff
£2,013/yr
Better than 97% of UK LAs
Rhondda Cynon Taff
£2,289/yr
Better than 82% of UK LAs
Cardiff: £276 less per year at Band D.
Recorded crime
ONS PFA Table C4 · Year ending Dec 2025
Cardiff
96.8/1k
Worse than 82% of UK LAs
Rhondda Cynon Taff
80.7/1k
Worse than 62% of UK LAs
Rhondda Cynon Taff: 20% lower recorded-crime rate.
Not comparable for this pair
- Deprivation (IMD): England only — SIMD/WIMD/NIMDM use separate methodologies that don't cross-compare.
- Schools (Ofsted): England only — Estyn, Education Scotland and ETI inspect under non-comparable frameworks.
What local pay actually covers
Same-place ratios — each area's own median rent and house price against its own median gross pay. A cheap-looking area stops looking cheap when local pay is lower still.
Cardiff
Rent takes 38% of median gross monthly pay
A median home costs 7.2× median annual pay
Rhondda Cynon Taff
Rent takes 26% of median gross monthly pay
A median home costs 4.6× median annual pay
Full Cardiff profile →
Every indicator, all state-funded schools with Ofsted grades, and similar areas.
Full Rhondda Cynon Taff profile →
Every indicator, all state-funded schools with Ofsted grades, and similar areas.