Winner on purchasing power
Manchester
After paying rent, a devops engineer in Manchester retains
£186/month more than in Nottingham —
that's £2,232/year extra in purchasing power.
Manchester
View full breakdown →
Gross salary
£62,000
Net monthly
£3,876
Rent (1-bed)
£1,050
Rent-to-income
27% — Comfortable
After rent
£2,826
Nottingham
View full breakdown →
Gross salary
£54,000
Net monthly
£3,490
Rent (1-bed)
£850
Rent-to-income
24% — Comfortable
After rent
£2,640
Manchester vs Nottingham: what the £186/month gap means for a devops engineer
On paper, Manchester devops engineer roles pay £8,000/year
more than Nottingham. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a
different story — Manchester workers keep £3,876/month versus
£3,490/month in Nottingham.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Manchester rent runs £1,050/month
versus £850/month in Nottingham. Once housing costs are factored in,
Manchester workers have £2,826/month
disposable income versus £2,640/month in Nottingham —
that is £2,232/year in real spending power.
Manchester's rent-to-income ratio of 27%
compares favourably to Nottingham's 24%.
Monthly cost comparison
All figures monthly · 2025/26
| Category |
Manchester |
Nottingham |
Delta |
| Rent (1-bed median) |
£1,050 |
£850 |
-19% |
| Transport |
£75 |
£58 |
-23% |
| Council tax |
£128 |
£118 |
-8% |
| Groceries |
£280 |
£260 |
-7% |
| Disposable income remaining |
£2,198 |
£2,071 |
-6% |
Sources: LinkedIn 2025 · Rightmove Q4 2025 · HMRC 2025/26 · Numbeo 2025
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 68 for Manchester
and 63 for Nottingham,
a salary of £62,000 in Manchester delivers
equivalent purchasing power to £57,450 in Nottingham.
Manchester £62,000 ≈
£57,450
in Nottingham
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
Cappuccino
Manchester
£2.58
Nottingham
£2.39
Transit (single trip)
Manchester
£1.79
Nottingham
£1.38
Gym membership
Manchester
£37/mo
Nottingham
£35/mo
Cinema ticket
Manchester
£10.88
Nottingham
£10.08
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Frequently asked questions
Does a devops engineer earn more in Manchester or Nottingham?
+
Manchester pays a median £62,000 vs £54,000 in Nottingham
— a gross difference of £8,000.
However, after accounting for rent and living costs, Manchester professionals
have £186/month more disposable income, making it the stronger city in real terms.
What is the take-home pay for a devops engineer in Manchester vs Nottingham?
+
In Manchester: gross £62,000 → £3,876/month net take-home.
In Nottingham: gross £54,000 → £3,490/month net take-home.
After paying median 1-bed rent, Manchester leaves £2,826/month
vs Nottingham's £2,640/month.
What salary in Nottingham matches Manchester purchasing power?
+
Approximately £57,450 in Nottingham delivers equivalent purchasing power to
£62,000 in Manchester, based on a cost-of-living index of
68 (Manchester) vs 63 (Nottingham).
Is Manchester or Nottingham cheaper to live in?
+
Nottingham is cheaper overall, with a cost-of-living index of 63 vs 68 for Manchester (London = 100).
Rent in Manchester averages £1,050/month (1-bed)
vs £850/month in Nottingham.
What is the rent-to-income ratio for a devops engineer in Manchester?
+
A devops engineer in Manchester earning £62,000 takes home
£3,876/month. With median 1-bed rent of £1,050/month,
the rent-to-income ratio is 27%
(comfortable).
In Nottingham the equivalent ratio is 24%.