Bristol vs Edinburgh
Edinburgh wins on purchasing power. Edinburgh project managers have £13/month more disposable income after rent than their Bristol counterparts.
After paying rent, a project manager in Edinburgh retains £13/month more than in Bristol — that's £156/year extra in purchasing power.
Bristol vs Edinburgh: what the £13/month gap means for a project manager
On paper, Bristol project manager roles pay £2,000/year more than Edinburgh. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Bristol workers keep £3,586/month versus £3,349/month in Edinburgh.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Bristol rent runs £1,350/month versus £1,100/month in Edinburgh. Once housing costs are factored in, Edinburgh workers have £2,249/month disposable income versus £2,236/month in Bristol — that is £156/year in real spending power.
Edinburgh's rent-to-income ratio of 33% compares favourably to Bristol's 38%.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 75 for Bristol and 72 for Edinburgh, a salary of £56,000 in Bristol delivers equivalent purchasing power to £53,750 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
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