Cardiff vs Nottingham
Nottingham wins on purchasing power. Nottingham data scientists have £230/month more disposable income after rent than their Cardiff counterparts.
After paying rent, a data scientist in Nottingham retains £230/month more than in Cardiff — that's £2,760/year extra in purchasing power.
Cardiff vs Nottingham: what the £230/month gap means for a data scientist
On paper, Cardiff data scientist roles pay £3,000/year less than Nottingham. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Cardiff workers keep £2,933/month versus £3,113/month in Nottingham.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Cardiff rent runs £900/month versus £850/month in Nottingham. Once housing costs are factored in, Nottingham workers have £2,263/month disposable income versus £2,033/month in Cardiff — that is £2,760/year in real spending power.
Nottingham's rent-to-income ratio of 27% compares favourably to Cardiff's 31%.
For data scientists prioritising financial freedom, Nottingham 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 63 for Nottingham, a salary of £44,000 in Cardiff delivers equivalent purchasing power to £43,300 in Nottingham.
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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