Cheapest City centres

Perth (PH1): �275 Inverness (IV2): �280 Exeter (EX1): �285 Aberystwyth (SY23): �286

Living in Scottish Islands, such as Shetland and Orkney, will guarantee much cheaper premiums than for people who live in highly populated and crime ridden areas.

Car insurance premiums in central London accounted for eight of the top 10 most expensive postal areas.

Driving up costs

The cheapest place to buy car insurance was Douglas in the Isle of Man, where the cost of an annual premium was �225.

The most expensive place to insure a car was, at �622 a year, Small Heath, near Birmingham,

Most Expensive Cities

Birmingham (B5): �604 East London (E1): �595 South East London (SE1): �575 Liverpool (L6): �573 Manchester (M5): �563 Glasgow (G5): �525

Overall, premiums have risen by �30 in the last year to �364, a rise of 9% on average.

While premiums for people living in towns tend to be higher, there are still large regional variations.

The cheapest central urban areas were Perth, Inverness , Exeter and Aberystwyth.

Regional averages

East Anglia: �300 Islands: �231 London: �480 Midlands: �347 North: �390 Scotland: �328 South East: �332 South West: �294 Wales: �329

The most expensive cities are Birmingham, parts of London, followed by Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow.

In London, Stoke Newington, was the most expensive place to insure a car at �607 a year.

The results were based on the cost of insuring a Ford Focus, and involved surveying costs for about 10,000 postal sectors.

People are advised to shop around for their insurance at renewal time.