London vs Edinburgh
Edinburgh wins on purchasing power. Edinburgh data scientists have £233/month more disposable income after rent than their London counterparts.
After paying rent, a data scientist in Edinburgh retains £233/month more than in London — that's £2,796/year extra in purchasing power.
London vs Edinburgh: what the £233/month gap means for a data scientist
On paper, London data scientist roles pay £14,000/year more than Edinburgh. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — London workers keep £4,166/month versus £3,349/month in Edinburgh.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average London rent runs £2,150/month versus £1,100/month in Edinburgh. Once housing costs are factored in, Edinburgh workers have £2,249/month disposable income versus £2,016/month in London — that is £2,796/year in real spending power.
Edinburgh's rent-to-income ratio of 33% compares favourably to London's 52%.
For data scientists prioritising financial freedom, Edinburgh delivers significantly more disposable income despite lower gross pay.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 100 for London and 72 for Edinburgh, a salary of £68,000 in London delivers equivalent purchasing power to £48,950 in Edinburgh.
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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