Cardiff vs Leeds
Leeds wins on purchasing power. Leeds software engineers have £340/month more disposable income after rent than their Cardiff counterparts.
After paying rent, a software engineer in Leeds retains £340/month more than in Cardiff — that's £4,080/year extra in purchasing power.
Cardiff vs Leeds: what the £340/month gap means for a software engineer
On paper, Cardiff software engineer roles pay £6,000/year less than Leeds. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Cardiff workers keep £3,053/month versus £3,393/month in Leeds.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Cardiff rent runs £900/month versus £900/month in Leeds. Once housing costs are factored in, Leeds workers have £2,493/month disposable income versus £2,153/month in Cardiff — that is £4,080/year in real spending power.
Leeds's rent-to-income ratio of 27% compares favourably to Cardiff's 29%.
For software engineers prioritising financial freedom, Leeds delivers significantly more disposable income despite comparable gross pay.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 64 for Cardiff and 66 for Leeds, a salary of £46,000 in Cardiff delivers equivalent purchasing power to £47,450 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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