Winner on purchasing power
Sheffield
After paying rent, a software engineer in Sheffield retains
£172/month more than in Edinburgh —
that's £2,064/year extra in purchasing power.
Edinburgh
View full breakdown →
Gross salary
£55,000
Net monthly
£3,396
Rent (1-bed)
£1,100
Rent-to-income
32% — Comfortable
After rent
£2,296
Sheffield
View full breakdown →
Gross salary
£50,000
Net monthly
£3,293
Rent (1-bed)
£825
Rent-to-income
25% — Comfortable
After rent
£2,468
Edinburgh vs Sheffield: what the £172/month gap means for a software engineer
On paper, Edinburgh software engineer roles pay £5,000/year
more than Sheffield. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a
different story — Edinburgh workers keep £3,396/month versus
£3,293/month in Sheffield.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Edinburgh rent runs £1,100/month
versus £825/month in Sheffield. Once housing costs are factored in,
Sheffield workers have £2,468/month
disposable income versus £2,296/month in Edinburgh —
that is £2,064/year in real spending power.
Sheffield's rent-to-income ratio of 25%
compares favourably to Edinburgh's 32%.
Monthly cost comparison
All figures monthly · 2025/26
| Category |
Edinburgh |
Sheffield |
Delta |
| Rent (1-bed median) |
£1,100 |
£825 |
-25% |
| Transport |
£62 |
£65 |
+5% |
| Council tax |
£155 |
£126 |
-19% |
| Groceries |
£280 |
£265 |
-5% |
| Disposable income remaining |
£1,669 |
£1,878 |
+13% |
Sources: LinkedIn 2025 · Rightmove Q4 2025 · HMRC 2025/26 · Numbeo 2025
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 72 for Edinburgh
and 63 for Sheffield,
a salary of £55,000 in Edinburgh delivers
equivalent purchasing power to £48,150 in Sheffield.
Edinburgh £55,000 ≈
£48,150
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
Cappuccino
Edinburgh
£2.74
Sheffield
£2.39
Transit (single trip)
Edinburgh
£1.48
Sheffield
£1.55
Gym membership
Edinburgh
£40/mo
Sheffield
£35/mo
Cinema ticket
Edinburgh
£11.52
Sheffield
£10.08
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Frequently asked questions
Does a software engineer earn more in Edinburgh or Sheffield?
+
Edinburgh pays a median £55,000 vs £50,000 in Sheffield
— a gross difference of £5,000.
However, after accounting for rent and living costs, Sheffield professionals
have £172/month more disposable income, making it the stronger city in real terms.
What is the take-home pay for a software engineer in Edinburgh vs Sheffield?
+
In Edinburgh: gross £55,000 → £3,396/month net take-home.
In Sheffield: gross £50,000 → £3,293/month net take-home.
After paying median 1-bed rent, Edinburgh leaves £2,296/month
vs Sheffield's £2,468/month.
What salary in Sheffield matches Edinburgh purchasing power?
+
Approximately £48,150 in Sheffield delivers equivalent purchasing power to
£55,000 in Edinburgh, based on a cost-of-living index of
72 (Edinburgh) vs 63 (Sheffield).
Is Edinburgh or Sheffield cheaper to live in?
+
Sheffield is cheaper overall, with a cost-of-living index of 63 vs 72 for Edinburgh (London = 100).
Rent in Edinburgh averages £1,100/month (1-bed)
vs £825/month in Sheffield.
What is the rent-to-income ratio for a software engineer in Edinburgh?
+
A software engineer in Edinburgh earning £55,000 takes home
£3,396/month. With median 1-bed rent of £1,100/month,
the rent-to-income ratio is 32%
(comfortable).
In Sheffield the equivalent ratio is 25%.