Cardiff vs Sheffield
Sheffield wins on purchasing power. Sheffield software engineers have £315/month more disposable income after rent than their Cardiff counterparts.
After paying rent, a software engineer in Sheffield retains £315/month more than in Cardiff — that's £3,780/year extra in purchasing power.
Cardiff vs Sheffield: what the £315/month gap means for a software engineer
On paper, Cardiff software engineer roles pay £4,000/year less than Sheffield. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Cardiff workers keep £3,053/month versus £3,293/month in Sheffield.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Cardiff rent runs £900/month versus £825/month in Sheffield. Once housing costs are factored in, Sheffield workers have £2,468/month disposable income versus £2,153/month in Cardiff — that is £3,780/year in real spending power.
Sheffield's rent-to-income ratio of 25% compares favourably to Cardiff's 29%.
For software engineers prioritising financial freedom, Sheffield 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 63 for Sheffield, a salary of £46,000 in Cardiff delivers equivalent purchasing power to £45,300 in Sheffield.
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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