The research from GoCompare car insurance shows the average price for car insurance is £826.77, but those in West London – the most expensive for car insurance – will pay anywhere from £1,734.80. Residents of Galashiels in Scotland pay the least at just £544.84 for the cheapest premium.

After West London, East London is the next most expensive area, with an average starting premium of £1,516.32, Central West London is third with premiums starting from £1,433.88, Central East London is next at £1,319.33. North Londoners came fifth, paying an average of £1,309.83 for the cheapest premium.

Among the cheaper areas, Exeter’s average premiums start at £559.47, with Truro in Cornwall at £562.19 and Perth, Scotland at £566.25. There is a difference of £1,189.96 between highest and lowest premiums by postcode.

GoCompare car insurance’s Matt Oliver, said there are a number of factors which could influence the price of insurance premiums. These include crime rates, how dangerous the roads are, as well as the number of claims made in a particular area.

He added: “Insurers will therefore deem areas with higher crime and claim rates a higher risk, which pushes the premium up. Another factor is car type. Affluent areas of West London are more likely to have vehicles with bigger price tags, engines and gadgets, which again, bumps the average best premium up in this area.

“Areas of the country where the premiums are the lowest, in Scotland, Devon and Cornwall, are less built up, have a lower crime rate and less cars on the road, which could potentially result in less claims. They are therefore deemed as a lower risk by insurers, making premiums considerably less than the London area.”