I was surprised to find Mansfield is actually a much cheaper area than Stoke!
Rightmove and Zoopla both put Stoke cheaper on average, although both are very cheap relative to the UK as a whole.
The problem I tend to find with property is that the differentials between a not-so good/average area and a good/very good area are massive- even when the areas are in the same town, city or county.
In Nottingham, the price of a terraced house can vary by a factor of four depending on area. Sometimes there is only a few miles between these properties (which I acknowledge makes a huge difference, especially in a city).