Cardiff vs Liverpool
Liverpool wins on purchasing power. Liverpool software engineers have £440/month more disposable income after rent than their Cardiff counterparts.
After paying rent, a software engineer in Liverpool retains £440/month more than in Cardiff — that's £5,280/year extra in purchasing power.
Cardiff vs Liverpool: what the £440/month gap means for a software engineer
On paper, Cardiff software engineer roles pay £6,000/year less than Liverpool. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Cardiff workers keep £3,053/month versus £3,393/month in Liverpool.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Cardiff rent runs £900/month versus £800/month in Liverpool. Once housing costs are factored in, Liverpool workers have £2,593/month disposable income versus £2,153/month in Cardiff — that is £5,280/year in real spending power.
Liverpool's rent-to-income ratio of 24% compares favourably to Cardiff's 29%.
For software engineers prioritising financial freedom, Liverpool 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 62 for Liverpool, a salary of £46,000 in Cardiff delivers equivalent purchasing power to £44,550 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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