Edinburgh vs Liverpool
Liverpool wins on purchasing power. Liverpool software engineers have £297/month more disposable income after rent than their Edinburgh counterparts.
After paying rent, a software engineer in Liverpool retains £297/month more than in Edinburgh — that's £3,564/year extra in purchasing power.
Edinburgh vs Liverpool: what the £297/month gap means for a software engineer
On paper, Edinburgh software engineer roles pay £3,000/year more than Liverpool. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Edinburgh workers keep £3,396/month versus £3,393/month in Liverpool.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Edinburgh rent runs £1,100/month versus £800/month in Liverpool. Once housing costs are factored in, Liverpool workers have £2,593/month disposable income versus £2,296/month in Edinburgh — that is £3,564/year in real spending power.
Liverpool's rent-to-income ratio of 24% compares favourably to Edinburgh's 32%.
For software engineers prioritising financial freedom, Liverpool delivers significantly more disposable income despite lower gross pay.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 72 for Edinburgh and 62 for Liverpool, a salary of £55,000 in Edinburgh delivers equivalent purchasing power to £47,350 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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