Edinburgh vs Sheffield
Edinburgh wins on purchasing power. Edinburgh data scientists have £21/month more disposable income after rent than their Sheffield counterparts.
After paying rent, a data scientist in Edinburgh retains £21/month more than in Sheffield — that's £252/year extra in purchasing power.
Edinburgh vs Sheffield: what the £21/month gap means for a data scientist
On paper, Edinburgh data scientist roles pay £8,000/year more than Sheffield. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Edinburgh workers keep £3,349/month versus £3,053/month in Sheffield.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Edinburgh rent runs £1,100/month versus £825/month in Sheffield. Once housing costs are factored in, Edinburgh workers have £2,249/month disposable income versus £2,228/month in Sheffield — that is £252/year in real spending power.
Edinburgh's rent-to-income ratio of 33% compares favourably to Sheffield's 27%.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 72 for Edinburgh and 63 for Sheffield, a salary of £54,000 in Edinburgh delivers equivalent purchasing power to £47,250 in Sheffield.
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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