Aberdeen vs Edinburgh
Edinburgh wins on purchasing power. Edinburgh software engineers have £182/month more disposable income after rent than their Aberdeen counterparts.
After paying rent, a software engineer in Edinburgh retains £182/month more than in Aberdeen — that's £2,184/year extra in purchasing power.
Aberdeen vs Edinburgh: what the £182/month gap means for a software engineer
On paper, Aberdeen software engineer roles pay £5,000/year less than Edinburgh. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Aberdeen workers keep £3,164/month versus £3,396/month in Edinburgh.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Aberdeen rent runs £1,050/month versus £1,100/month in Edinburgh. Once housing costs are factored in, Edinburgh workers have £2,296/month disposable income versus £2,114/month in Aberdeen — that is £2,184/year in real spending power.
Edinburgh's rent-to-income ratio of 32% compares favourably to Aberdeen's 33%.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 73 for Aberdeen and 72 for Edinburgh, a salary of £50,000 in Aberdeen delivers equivalent purchasing power to £49,300 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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