The commuter city named the UK's prettiest place but it's nearly as expensive to live there as London

If you're looking for a quieter or greener place to live while still working in the city, there are plenty of charming commuter towns and villages around London.

One such appealing option is Oxford, which was recently crowned the UK's most aesthetic city by Atlas Ceramics, beating Worcester and Exeter to the top spot.

The company reached its verdict by analysing all UK cities and scoring them out of 10 based on factors like the number of Instagram views each city received using their respective hashtags. They also considered the number of listed buildings and monuments per square kilometre.

READ MORE: The tiny village less than 2 hours from London named one of the UK's best places to live

However, living in Oxford doesn't come cheap. The average home will set you back £571K, according to property website Rightmove.

Compare that to London's nearly £700K, and you can see why Oxford has a reputation for being so expensive.

But with a straightforward 45-minute train journey from Paddington, it might be worth the extra cost.

There's no shortage of things to do in Oxford either. You could visit the famous Ashmolean Museum, which is open daily from 10am to 5pm and free to enter.

The museum offers a diverse range of exhibits, including current displays of Japanese stencils and works by renowned contemporary Chinese artist Fang Lijun. However, some exhibitions, like the Colour Revolution, carry an entry fee of £15.30, or £7.65 for those aged 12 to 17.

You can also take a magical journey through the filming locations of the Harry Potter series in the town. JK Rowling herself directed the film's producers to various picturesque spots in the area that were perfect for iconic scenes.

For Potterheads, there's a spellbinding tour available at £130 per hour for a small group, which grants you access to the Divinity School, the famous filming site for several Hogwarts classroom, dance, and infirmary scenes.

And when the wizarding world leaves you famished, why not pop into Antep, a Turkish gem in the heart of the town?

They serve up a mouth-watering array of dishes from succulent shish kebabs to shareable plates of chicken wings.

One satisfied diner raved about their experience, saying: "Having tried many Turkish restaurants in the UK, I can definitely say that Antep Kitchen Oxford offers top quality food and service. It is a place where one will have the chance to get a taste of authentic Turkish cuisine. Definitely deserves more than 5 stars in all aspects."

Wondering how to reach this enchanting town?

A straightforward 45-minute train ride from Paddington will get you to Oxford. During peak times, fares seem to hover around the £31.70 mark, but they can drop to as low as £16 outside of rush hour.

If you're planning a visit, consider getting a railcard - it can cut prices by a third.

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