Aberdeen vs Cardiff
Aberdeen wins on purchasing power. Aberdeen devops engineers have £320/month more disposable income after rent than their Cardiff counterparts.
After paying rent, a devops engineer in Aberdeen retains £320/month more than in Cardiff — that's £3,840/year extra in purchasing power.
Aberdeen vs Cardiff: what the £320/month gap means for a devops engineer
On paper, Aberdeen devops engineer roles pay £13,000/year more than Cardiff. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Aberdeen workers keep £3,863/month versus £3,393/month in Cardiff.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Aberdeen rent runs £1,050/month versus £900/month in Cardiff. Once housing costs are factored in, Aberdeen workers have £2,813/month disposable income versus £2,493/month in Cardiff — that is £3,840/year in real spending power.
Aberdeen's rent-to-income ratio of 27% compares favourably to Cardiff's 27%.
For devops engineers prioritising financial freedom, Aberdeen delivers significantly more disposable income despite comparable gross pay.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 73 for Aberdeen and 64 for Cardiff, a salary of £65,000 in Aberdeen delivers equivalent purchasing power to £57,000 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