Edinburgh vs Manchester
Manchester wins on purchasing power. Manchester data scientists have £142/month more disposable income after rent than their Edinburgh counterparts.
After paying rent, a data scientist in Manchester retains £142/month more than in Edinburgh — that's £1,704/year extra in purchasing power.
Edinburgh vs Manchester: what the £142/month gap means for a data scientist
On paper, Edinburgh data scientist roles pay £1,000/year more than Manchester. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Edinburgh workers keep £3,349/month versus £3,441/month in Manchester.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Edinburgh rent runs £1,100/month versus £1,050/month in Manchester. Once housing costs are factored in, Manchester workers have £2,391/month disposable income versus £2,249/month in Edinburgh — that is £1,704/year in real spending power.
Manchester's rent-to-income ratio of 31% compares favourably to Edinburgh's 33%.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 72 for Edinburgh and 68 for Manchester, a salary of £54,000 in Edinburgh delivers equivalent purchasing power to £51,000 in Manchester.
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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