London vs Cardiff
Cardiff wins on purchasing power. Cardiff data scientists have £17/month more disposable income after rent than their London counterparts.
After paying rent, a data scientist in Cardiff retains £17/month more than in London — that's £204/year extra in purchasing power.
London vs Cardiff: what the £17/month gap means for a data scientist
On paper, London data scientist roles pay £24,000/year more than Cardiff. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — London workers keep £4,166/month versus £2,933/month in Cardiff.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average London rent runs £2,150/month versus £900/month in Cardiff. Once housing costs are factored in, Cardiff workers have £2,033/month disposable income versus £2,016/month in London — that is £204/year in real spending power.
Cardiff's rent-to-income ratio of 31% compares favourably to London's 52%.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 100 for London and 64 for Cardiff, a salary of £68,000 in London delivers equivalent purchasing power to £43,500 in Cardiff.
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
Financial tools
Popular products for UK earners