Edinburgh vs Exeter
Edinburgh wins on purchasing power. Edinburgh data scientists have £316/month more disposable income after rent than their Exeter counterparts.
After paying rent, a data scientist in Edinburgh retains £316/month more than in Exeter — that's £3,792/year extra in purchasing power.
Edinburgh vs Exeter: what the £316/month gap means for a data scientist
On paper, Edinburgh data scientist roles pay £10,000/year more than Exeter. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Edinburgh workers keep £3,349/month versus £2,933/month in Exeter.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Edinburgh rent runs £1,100/month versus £1,000/month in Exeter. Once housing costs are factored in, Edinburgh workers have £2,249/month disposable income versus £1,933/month in Exeter — that is £3,792/year in real spending power.
Edinburgh's rent-to-income ratio of 33% compares favourably to Exeter's 34%.
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 72 for Edinburgh and 70 for Exeter, a salary of £54,000 in Edinburgh delivers equivalent purchasing power to £52,500 in Exeter.
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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