Cardiff vs Reading
Reading wins on purchasing power. Reading software engineers have £422/month more disposable income after rent than their Cardiff counterparts.
After paying rent, a software engineer in Reading retains £422/month more than in Cardiff — that's £5,064/year extra in purchasing power.
Cardiff vs Reading: what the £422/month gap means for a software engineer
On paper, Cardiff software engineer roles pay £17,000/year less than Reading. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Cardiff workers keep £3,053/month versus £3,925/month in Reading.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Cardiff rent runs £900/month versus £1,350/month in Reading. Once housing costs are factored in, Reading workers have £2,575/month disposable income versus £2,153/month in Cardiff — that is £5,064/year in real spending power.
Reading's rent-to-income ratio of 34% compares favourably to Cardiff's 29%.
For software engineers prioritising financial freedom, Reading 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 80 for Reading, a salary of £46,000 in Cardiff delivers equivalent purchasing power to £57,500 in Reading.
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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