Bristol vs London
Bristol wins on purchasing power. Bristol devops engineers have £75/month more disposable income after rent than their London counterparts.
After paying rent, a devops engineer in Bristol retains £75/month more than in London — that's £900/year extra in purchasing power.
Bristol vs London: what the £75/month gap means for a devops engineer
On paper, Bristol devops engineer roles pay £15,000/year less than London. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Bristol workers keep £3,780/month versus £4,505/month in London.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Bristol rent runs £1,350/month versus £2,150/month in London. Once housing costs are factored in, Bristol workers have £2,430/month disposable income versus £2,355/month in London — that is £900/year in real spending power.
Bristol's rent-to-income ratio of 36% compares favourably to London's 48%.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 75 for Bristol and 100 for London, a salary of £60,000 in Bristol delivers equivalent purchasing power to £80,000 in London.
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
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