Cardiff vs Edinburgh
Edinburgh wins on purchasing power. Edinburgh data scientists have £216/month more disposable income after rent than their Cardiff counterparts.
After paying rent, a data scientist in Edinburgh retains £216/month more than in Cardiff — that's £2,592/year extra in purchasing power.
Cardiff vs Edinburgh: what the £216/month gap means for a data scientist
On paper, Cardiff data scientist roles pay £10,000/year less than Edinburgh. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Cardiff workers keep £2,933/month versus £3,349/month in Edinburgh.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Cardiff rent runs £900/month versus £1,100/month in Edinburgh. Once housing costs are factored in, Edinburgh workers have £2,249/month disposable income versus £2,033/month in Cardiff — that is £2,592/year in real spending power.
Edinburgh's rent-to-income ratio of 33% compares favourably to Cardiff's 31%.
For data scientists prioritising financial freedom, Edinburgh delivers significantly more disposable income despite comparable gross pay.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 64 for Cardiff and 72 for Edinburgh, a salary of £44,000 in Cardiff delivers equivalent purchasing power to £49,500 in Edinburgh.
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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