London vs Aberdeen
Aberdeen wins on purchasing power. Aberdeen data scientists have £15/month more disposable income after rent than their London counterparts.
After paying rent, a data scientist in Aberdeen retains £15/month more than in London — that's £180/year extra in purchasing power.
London vs Aberdeen: what the £15/month gap means for a data scientist
On paper, London data scientist roles pay £20,000/year more than Aberdeen. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — London workers keep £4,166/month versus £3,081/month in Aberdeen.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average London rent runs £2,150/month versus £1,050/month in Aberdeen. Once housing costs are factored in, Aberdeen workers have £2,031/month disposable income versus £2,016/month in London — that is £180/year in real spending power.
Aberdeen's rent-to-income ratio of 34% compares favourably to London's 52%.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 100 for London and 73 for Aberdeen, a salary of £68,000 in London delivers equivalent purchasing power to £49,650 in Aberdeen.
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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