Exeter vs Nottingham
Nottingham wins on purchasing power. Nottingham software engineers have £210/month more disposable income after rent than their Exeter counterparts.
After paying rent, a software engineer in Nottingham retains £210/month more than in Exeter — that's £2,520/year extra in purchasing power.
Exeter vs Nottingham: what the £210/month gap means for a software engineer
On paper, Exeter software engineer roles pay £1,000/year less than Nottingham. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — Exeter workers keep £3,053/month versus £3,113/month in Nottingham.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Exeter rent runs £1,000/month versus £850/month in Nottingham. Once housing costs are factored in, Nottingham workers have £2,263/month disposable income versus £2,053/month in Exeter — that is £2,520/year in real spending power.
Nottingham's rent-to-income ratio of 27% compares favourably to Exeter's 33%.
For software engineers prioritising financial freedom, Nottingham delivers significantly more disposable income despite comparable gross pay.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 70 for Exeter and 63 for Nottingham, a salary of £46,000 in Exeter delivers equivalent purchasing power to £41,400 in Nottingham.
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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