Aberdeen vs Cardiff
Cardiff wins on purchasing power. Cardiff marketing managers have £40/month more disposable income after rent than their Aberdeen counterparts.
After paying rent, a marketing manager in Cardiff retains £40/month more than in Aberdeen — that's £480/year extra in purchasing power.
Aberdeen vs Cardiff: what the £40/month gap means for a marketing manager
On paper, Aberdeen marketing manager roles pay £2,000/year more than Cardiff. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Aberdeen workers keep £2,683/month versus £2,573/month in Cardiff.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Aberdeen rent runs £1,050/month versus £900/month in Cardiff. Once housing costs are factored in, Cardiff workers have £1,673/month disposable income versus £1,633/month in Aberdeen — that is £480/year in real spending power.
Cardiff's rent-to-income ratio of 35% compares favourably to Aberdeen's 39%.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 73 for Aberdeen and 64 for Cardiff, a salary of £40,000 in Aberdeen delivers equivalent purchasing power to £35,050 in Cardiff.
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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