Edinburgh vs Manchester
Edinburgh wins on purchasing power. Edinburgh data analysts have £51/month more disposable income after rent than their Manchester counterparts.
After paying rent, a data analyst in Edinburgh retains £51/month more than in Manchester — that's £612/year extra in purchasing power.
Edinburgh vs Manchester: what the £51/month gap means for a data analyst
On paper, Edinburgh data analyst roles pay £2,000/year more than Manchester. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Edinburgh workers keep £2,914/month versus £2,813/month in Manchester.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Edinburgh rent runs £1,100/month versus £1,050/month in Manchester. Once housing costs are factored in, Edinburgh workers have £1,814/month disposable income versus £1,763/month in Manchester — that is £612/year in real spending power.
Edinburgh's rent-to-income ratio of 38% compares favourably to Manchester's 37%.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 72 for Edinburgh and 68 for Manchester, a salary of £44,000 in Edinburgh delivers equivalent purchasing power to £41,550 in Manchester.
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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