Cardiff vs Sheffield
Sheffield wins on purchasing power. Sheffield devops engineers have £220/month more disposable income after rent than their Cardiff counterparts.
After paying rent, a devops engineer in Sheffield retains £220/month more than in Cardiff — that's £2,640/year extra in purchasing power.
Cardiff vs Sheffield: what the £220/month gap means for a devops engineer
On paper, Cardiff devops engineer roles pay £3,000/year less than Sheffield. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Cardiff workers keep £3,393/month versus £3,538/month in Sheffield.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Cardiff rent runs £900/month versus £825/month in Sheffield. Once housing costs are factored in, Sheffield workers have £2,713/month disposable income versus £2,493/month in Cardiff — that is £2,640/year in real spending power.
Sheffield's rent-to-income ratio of 23% compares favourably to Cardiff's 27%.
For devops engineers prioritising financial freedom, Sheffield delivers significantly more disposable income despite comparable gross pay.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 64 for Cardiff and 63 for Sheffield, a salary of £52,000 in Cardiff delivers equivalent purchasing power to £51,200 in Sheffield.
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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