Bristol vs Sheffield
Sheffield wins on purchasing power. Sheffield data scientists have £40/month more disposable income after rent than their Bristol counterparts.
After paying rent, a data scientist in Sheffield retains £40/month more than in Bristol — that's £480/year extra in purchasing power.
Bristol vs Sheffield: what the £40/month gap means for a data scientist
On paper, Bristol data scientist roles pay £9,000/year more than Sheffield. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Bristol workers keep £3,538/month versus £3,053/month in Sheffield.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Bristol rent runs £1,350/month versus £825/month in Sheffield. Once housing costs are factored in, Sheffield workers have £2,228/month disposable income versus £2,188/month in Bristol — that is £480/year in real spending power.
Sheffield's rent-to-income ratio of 27% compares favourably to Bristol's 38%.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 75 for Bristol and 63 for Sheffield, a salary of £55,000 in Bristol delivers equivalent purchasing power to £46,200 in Sheffield.
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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