Brighton vs Cardiff
Cardiff wins on purchasing power. Cardiff project managers have £63/month more disposable income after rent than their Brighton counterparts.
After paying rent, a project manager in Cardiff retains £63/month more than in Brighton — that's £756/year extra in purchasing power.
Brighton vs Cardiff: what the £63/month gap means for a project manager
On paper, Brighton project manager roles pay £8,000/year more than Cardiff. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Brighton workers keep £3,490/month versus £3,053/month in Cardiff.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Brighton rent runs £1,400/month versus £900/month in Cardiff. Once housing costs are factored in, Cardiff workers have £2,153/month disposable income versus £2,090/month in Brighton — that is £756/year in real spending power.
Cardiff's rent-to-income ratio of 29% compares favourably to Brighton's 40%.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 82 for Brighton and 64 for Cardiff, a salary of £54,000 in Brighton delivers equivalent purchasing power to £42,150 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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