Renting could work out cheaper than buying a property in more than half of Britain's major cities and towns, according to analysis from a property website.

Zoopla researched the monthly cost of renting a home with two bedrooms, compared with servicing a mortgage, in Britain's 50 biggest urban areas.

It found renting is cheaper than buying in 54% of locations. This marks a turnaround compared with similar research carried out in October 2016, when buying was found to beat renting in most (60%) places.

The cost of renting on a monthly basis was found to be cost-effective compared with buying in Brighton, where the typical property asking price is £315,000, the research found.

The average monthly rent in Brighton was found to be £1,199, while a mortgage repayment could set a home owner back by £1,576 a month, according to the calculations.

The research analysed the asking prices and rents on two bedroom homes which might typically be bought by first-time buyers.

Spokesman for Zoopla, Lawrence Hall said: "These figures are encouraging for those who are currently renting and perhaps looking to save as much as they possibly can to get on the property ladder."

Here are the top 10 cities where renting could beat buying, according to Zoopla, with the average monthly rent followed by the average home asking price and a monthly mortgage repayment based on someone having a 10% deposit, repaying their mortgage over 25 years:

1. London, £1,861, £599,950, £3,001

2. Cambridge, £1,099, £297,498, £1,488

3. Brighton, £1,199, £315,000, £1,576

4. Reading, £1,000, £260,000, £1,301

5. Bedford, £764, £195,000, £975

6. Liverpool, £623, £156,750, £784

7. Southampton, £779, £189,750, £949

8. Bristol, £900, £210,995, £1,056

9. Oldham, £476, £109,950, £550

10. Bournemouth, £848, £194,975, £975