Edinburgh vs Glasgow
Glasgow wins on purchasing power. Glasgow data scientists have £15/month more disposable income after rent than their Edinburgh counterparts.
After paying rent, a data scientist in Glasgow retains £15/month more than in Edinburgh — that's £180/year extra in purchasing power.
Edinburgh vs Glasgow: what the £15/month gap means for a data scientist
On paper, Edinburgh data scientist roles pay £4,000/year more than Glasgow. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Edinburgh workers keep £3,349/month versus £3,164/month in Glasgow.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Edinburgh rent runs £1,100/month versus £900/month in Glasgow. Once housing costs are factored in, Glasgow workers have £2,264/month disposable income versus £2,249/month in Edinburgh — that is £180/year in real spending power.
Glasgow's rent-to-income ratio of 28% compares favourably to Edinburgh's 33%.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 72 for Edinburgh and 62 for Glasgow, a salary of £54,000 in Edinburgh delivers equivalent purchasing power to £46,500 in Glasgow.
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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