Bristol vs Liverpool
Liverpool wins on purchasing power. Liverpool software engineers have £260/month more disposable income after rent than their Bristol counterparts.
After paying rent, a software engineer in Liverpool retains £260/month more than in Bristol — that's £3,120/year extra in purchasing power.
Bristol vs Liverpool: what the £260/month gap means for a software engineer
On paper, Bristol software engineer roles pay £6,000/year more than Liverpool. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Bristol workers keep £3,683/month versus £3,393/month in Liverpool.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Bristol rent runs £1,350/month versus £800/month in Liverpool. Once housing costs are factored in, Liverpool workers have £2,593/month disposable income versus £2,333/month in Bristol — that is £3,120/year in real spending power.
Liverpool's rent-to-income ratio of 24% compares favourably to Bristol's 37%.
For software engineers prioritising financial freedom, Liverpool delivers significantly more disposable income despite lower gross pay.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 75 for Bristol and 62 for Liverpool, a salary of £58,000 in Bristol delivers equivalent purchasing power to £47,950 in Liverpool.
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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