Birmingham vs Cardiff
Birmingham wins on purchasing power. Birmingham software engineers have £390/month more disposable income after rent than their Cardiff counterparts.
After paying rent, a software engineer in Birmingham retains £390/month more than in Cardiff — that's £4,680/year extra in purchasing power.
Birmingham vs Cardiff: what the £390/month gap means for a software engineer
On paper, Birmingham software engineer roles pay £6,000/year more than Cardiff. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Birmingham workers keep £3,393/month versus £3,053/month in Cardiff.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Birmingham rent runs £850/month versus £900/month in Cardiff. Once housing costs are factored in, Birmingham workers have £2,543/month disposable income versus £2,153/month in Cardiff — that is £4,680/year in real spending power.
Birmingham's rent-to-income ratio of 25% compares favourably to Cardiff's 29%.
For software engineers prioritising financial freedom, Birmingham delivers significantly more disposable income despite comparable gross pay.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 65 for Birmingham and 64 for Cardiff, a salary of £52,000 in Birmingham delivers equivalent purchasing power to £51,200 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
Financial tools
Popular products for UK earners