Edinburgh vs Leeds
Edinburgh wins on purchasing power. Edinburgh data analysts have £21/month more disposable income after rent than their Leeds counterparts.
After paying rent, a data analyst in Edinburgh retains £21/month more than in Leeds — that's £252/year extra in purchasing power.
Edinburgh vs Leeds: what the £21/month gap means for a data analyst
On paper, Edinburgh data analyst roles pay £4,000/year more than Leeds. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Edinburgh workers keep £2,914/month versus £2,693/month in Leeds.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Edinburgh rent runs £1,100/month versus £900/month in Leeds. Once housing costs are factored in, Edinburgh workers have £1,814/month disposable income versus £1,793/month in Leeds — that is £252/year in real spending power.
Edinburgh's rent-to-income ratio of 38% compares favourably to Leeds's 33%.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 72 for Edinburgh and 66 for Leeds, a salary of £44,000 in Edinburgh delivers equivalent purchasing power to £40,350 in Leeds.
Income retention after all essentials
% of net monthly pay remaining after rent, transport, council tax and groceries
Everyday costs
Estimated typical prices · scaled from Numbeo 2025
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