Brighton vs Leeds
Leeds wins on purchasing power. Leeds software engineers have £210/month more disposable income after rent than their Brighton counterparts.
After paying rent, a software engineer in Leeds retains £210/month more than in Brighton — that's £2,520/year extra in purchasing power.
Brighton vs Leeds: what the £210/month gap means for a software engineer
On paper, Brighton software engineer roles pay £6,000/year more than Leeds. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Brighton workers keep £3,683/month versus £3,393/month in Leeds.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Brighton rent runs £1,400/month versus £900/month in Leeds. Once housing costs are factored in, Leeds workers have £2,493/month disposable income versus £2,283/month in Brighton — that is £2,520/year in real spending power.
Leeds's rent-to-income ratio of 27% compares favourably to Brighton's 38%.
For software engineers prioritising financial freedom, Leeds delivers significantly more disposable income despite lower gross pay.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 82 for Brighton and 66 for Leeds, a salary of £58,000 in Brighton delivers equivalent purchasing power to £46,700 in Leeds.
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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