Bristol vs Nottingham
Bristol wins on purchasing power. Bristol software engineers have £70/month more disposable income after rent than their Nottingham counterparts.
After paying rent, a software engineer in Bristol retains £70/month more than in Nottingham — that's £840/year extra in purchasing power.
Bristol vs Nottingham: what the £70/month gap means for a software engineer
On paper, Bristol software engineer roles pay £11,000/year more than Nottingham. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Bristol workers keep £3,683/month versus £3,113/month in Nottingham.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Bristol rent runs £1,350/month versus £850/month in Nottingham. Once housing costs are factored in, Bristol workers have £2,333/month disposable income versus £2,263/month in Nottingham — that is £840/year in real spending power.
Bristol's rent-to-income ratio of 37% compares favourably to Nottingham's 27%.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 75 for Bristol and 63 for Nottingham, a salary of £58,000 in Bristol delivers equivalent purchasing power to £48,700 in Nottingham.
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
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