Cambridge vs Edinburgh
Cambridge wins on purchasing power. Cambridge devops engineers have £94/month more disposable income after rent than their Edinburgh counterparts.
After paying rent, a devops engineer in Cambridge retains £94/month more than in Edinburgh — that's £1,128/year extra in purchasing power.
Cambridge vs Edinburgh: what the £94/month gap means for a devops engineer
On paper, Cambridge devops engineer roles pay £7,000/year more than Edinburgh. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Cambridge workers keep £4,263/month versus £3,769/month in Edinburgh.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Cambridge rent runs £1,500/month versus £1,100/month in Edinburgh. Once housing costs are factored in, Cambridge workers have £2,763/month disposable income versus £2,669/month in Edinburgh — that is £1,128/year in real spending power.
Cambridge's rent-to-income ratio of 35% compares favourably to Edinburgh's 29%.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 87 for Cambridge and 72 for Edinburgh, a salary of £70,000 in Cambridge delivers equivalent purchasing power to £57,950 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
Financial tools
Popular products for UK earners