Cardiff vs Exeter
Cardiff wins on purchasing power. Cardiff devops engineers have £320/month more disposable income after rent than their Exeter counterparts.
After paying rent, a devops engineer in Cardiff retains £320/month more than in Exeter — that's £3,840/year extra in purchasing power.
Cardiff vs Exeter: what the £320/month gap means for a devops engineer
On paper, Cardiff devops engineer roles pay £4,000/year more than Exeter. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Cardiff workers keep £3,393/month versus £3,173/month in Exeter.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Cardiff rent runs £900/month versus £1,000/month in Exeter. Once housing costs are factored in, Cardiff workers have £2,493/month disposable income versus £2,173/month in Exeter — that is £3,840/year in real spending power.
Cardiff's rent-to-income ratio of 27% compares favourably to Exeter's 32%.
For devops engineers prioritising financial freedom, Cardiff 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 70 for Exeter, a salary of £52,000 in Cardiff delivers equivalent purchasing power to £56,900 in Exeter.
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