Chichester among UK areas with the biggest increase in mortgage costs, new study finds
Study shows mortgage repayments rising sharply nationwide.
Buying a home in the UK has become significantly harder than it was just a few years ago, with rising property prices and higher interest rates placing growing pressure on household finances.
New research now shows just how severe that shift has been, with Chichester ranked among the areas seeing some of the sharpest increases in mortgage costs since 2020.
A study by Mortgage Lane analysed 58 major cities and large towns across the UK, comparing average house prices and estimated monthly mortgage repayments between 2020 and 2025.
Rather than focusing only on sale prices, the research examined what buyers actually feel each month through their mortgage bills.
The study used publicly available housing market data, including Land Registry figures and national house price indices.
Mortgage repayments were calculated using the same assumptions across all locations, including a 20 percent deposit, a 30 year mortgage term and typical five year fixed rates.
An interest rate of 2.6 percent was applied for 2020, reflecting the ultra low borrowing costs at the time, while a rate of 4.9 percent was used for 2025 to reflect current market conditions.
By comparing repayments across the two years, researchers calculated how much more buyers would now pay each month for the same average home. Cities were then ranked by the size of that increase.
Chichester placed 11th overall, putting it firmly among the UK areas most affected by rising mortgage costs. Average house prices in the city rose from £235,008 in 2020 to £283,154 in 2025.
This increase has pushed estimated monthly mortgage repayments from £998 to £1,202, meaning buyers are paying around £204 more every month than they would have five years ago.
London tops the ranking, recording the largest increase in monthly mortgage costs. Average prices in the capital rose from £385,295 to £469,305, driving repayments up by £357 per month.
Brighton ranks second with a £314 rise, followed by Bristol with an increase of £282. Bradford and Cardiff complete the top five, each seeing monthly increases of more than £230.
At the opposite end of the scale, areas including Southend on Sea, Carlisle, York, Lincoln, Canterbury, Tunbridge Wells, Birmingham, Chester and Peterborough recorded increases of under £50 per month.