Townleap

Cost of Living: Brighton vs Split (2026)

United Kingdom vs Croatia — relocation comparison

Your passport:
Brighton
Split
$1894/mo
Rent
$1077/mo
64/100
Livability
68/100
86/100
Safety
79/100
Healthcare
77/100
5 yr
PR path
Freelance setup
Sole Trader
  • VAT-free under €105k
  • 9% social
  • €600/yr accountant
WiseStripe
Obrt
  • VAT-free under €40k
  • 37% social
  • €450/yr accountant
WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated May 2026

TL;DRSplit is 43% cheaper on rent ($1077/mo vs $1894/mo). Brighton scores 8.5 vs 6.5 on democracy. Both are solid options for settling down — the spreadsheet won't save you from this one.
Too close to call — 68 vs 64. Split has a slight edge, but Brighton might suit you better depending on your priorities.
Household
Brighton
Metric
Split
$1894/mo
🏠
Rent (1BR centre)
$1077/mo
$859/mo
🛒
Living costs (no rent)
$670/mo
🧳
Cost to land
$5,244
1.1 / 100k
🔒
Homicides
0.8 / 100k
20°C
☀️
Summer high
30°C
4°C
❄️
Winter low
4°C
🌬️
Air quality (PM2.5)
8.9 μg/m³
8.5 / 10
🗳️
Democracy
6.5 / 10
100/100
🗣️
Street English
100/100
$62k
💼
GDP per capita
$50k
3.3% · Boringly steady
📈
Inflation
3.0% · Boringly steady
64 / 100
🏅
Livability Score
68 / 100
5 years
📋
Time to PR
See exactly what you keep after taxes in each city

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated May 2026

💰
Cost of Living
Split
$817/mo cheaper on rent alone
🔒
Safety
Split
0.8 homicides per 100k
🗳️
Democracy
Brighton
8.5/10 EIU index
☀️
Weather
20°C vs 30°C summers

Sun

How much sky you actually get

36% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
Sky clear
avg daytime
59% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
8.0h
Shortest day
Dec
8.9h
16.4h
Longest day
Jun
15.4h

Sun clocks out before 5pm in both cities come December. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

Democracy trend
stable
Inflation trend
improving
5 yrs
Time to PR
Moderate
🇺🇸 Your visa
Moderate
EU visa
Complex
RU visa
Moderate
UA visa
Recognized (2+ yr)
unmarried partner / civil partnership
Partner pathway
Conditional (3+ yr)
izvanbračna zajednica / životno partnerstvo (same-sex)

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · IEA · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

Broad social grounds
Abortion access
On request
24 wk
Gestational limit
10 wk

Requires two doctors' approval under Abortion Act 1967, but broadly available up to 24 weeks.

On request up to 10 weeks. Access limited in practice due to widespread conscientious objection.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

52/100
Rainbow Index
50/100
Legal
Marriage
Civil union
Joint adoption
Adoption
Step-child only
Yes
Job protection
Yes
Yes
Hate crime law
Yes

Source: Rainbow Europe (ILGA-Europe)

The Short Version

  • Rent is 43% cheaper in Split ($1077/mo vs $1894/mo for a 1BR city centre).
  • Summers are dramatically warmer in Split (30°C vs 20°C).
  • Brighton scores higher on democracy (8.5 vs 6.5 / 10 EIU).

Brighton vs Split — Common Questions

Is Brighton cheaper than Split?

Split is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1077/month in Split vs $1894/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Brighton or Split?

Split is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Brighton has a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 and Split has 0.77 per 100,000.

Should I move to Brighton or Split?

Too close to call — 68 vs 64. Split has a slight edge, but Brighton might suit you better depending on your priorities. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Which has better weather, Brighton or Split?

Split is warmer in summer (30°C vs 20°C). Brighton has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

What's the cost of rent in Brighton vs Split?

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1077/month in Split, $1894/month in Brighton (Numbeo). That's 43% cheaper rent in Split.

Is Brighton or Split better for democracy and rule of law?

Brighton scores 8.5/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 6.5/10 for Split. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.

Plot twist: other matchups exist

Maybe the real city was the comparisons we made along the way.

Let the algorithm judge you

2 min quiz — surprisingly accurate

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