Best UK cities for sport and fitness: Liverpool beats London, Manchester

Home to both Everton and Liverpool FC, Liverpool has been revealed as the sportiest city in the UK and ranks 10th in Europe overall.

The average price of a gym membership is just £28, which is the sixth cheapest among the cities surveyed. There are also 9,459 Google searches per 100,000 for ‘Gyms Near Me’, which is only bettered by Villarreal, the sporting capital of Europe. However, only 38.2% of adults partake in sporting activity, which is one of the lowest among the cities studied

In second place is Manchester. Like Liverpool, just 38.2% of the adult population of Manchester take part in sporting activity. However, where it excels is by offering affordable sporting facilities. The average price of a gym membership is just £28.68 and the cost to rent a tennis court is £12.42 on average.

Coming out in third place is England’s capital, London. The capital city has a whopping 42% of adults participating in some form of physical activity, but the average price of a gym membership is £44.28, with only cities like Amsterdam and Milan charging more on average. There are 1.11 swimming pools per 100,000 people, with 108 located throughout the city, with 35 stadiums also available for sports fans to enjoy some form of sporting entertainment.

Research by Betway has also revealed that the best city in Europe for sport is Villarreal, located just north-east of Valencia and boasts more than 700 years of history. With almost half (49.2%) of adults partaking in sports in some capacity, there are also 11,994 Google searches per 100,000 residents searching for gyms in the city - more than any other city in Europe. There are also five major sports stadiums in the city, including Villarreal CF’s home stadium Estadi de la Ceràmica.