Winner on purchasing power
Liverpool
After paying rent, a software engineer in Liverpool retains
£100/month more than in Leicester —
that's £1,200/year extra in purchasing power.
Leicester
View full breakdown →
Gross salary
£50,000
Net monthly
£3,293
Rent (1-bed)
£800
Rent-to-income
24% — Comfortable
After rent
£2,493
Liverpool
View full breakdown →
Gross salary
£52,000
Net monthly
£3,393
Rent (1-bed)
£800
Rent-to-income
24% — Comfortable
After rent
£2,593
Leicester vs Liverpool: what the £100/month gap means for a software engineer
On paper, Leicester software engineer roles pay £2,000/year
less than Liverpool. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a
different story — Leicester workers keep £3,293/month versus
£3,393/month in Liverpool.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Leicester rent runs £800/month
versus £800/month in Liverpool. Once housing costs are factored in,
Liverpool workers have £2,593/month
disposable income versus £2,493/month in Leicester —
that is £1,200/year in real spending power.
Liverpool's rent-to-income ratio of 24%
compares favourably to Leicester's 24%.
Monthly cost comparison
All figures monthly · 2025/26
| Category |
Leicester |
Liverpool |
Delta |
| Rent (1-bed median) |
£800 |
£800 |
0% |
| Transport |
£62 |
£70 |
+13% |
| Council tax |
£118 |
£115 |
-3% |
| Groceries |
£258 |
£260 |
+1% |
| Disposable income remaining |
£1,922 |
£2,015 |
+5% |
Sources: ONS ASHE 2025 · Rightmove Q4 2025 · HMRC 2025/26 · Numbeo 2025
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 63 for Leicester
and 62 for Liverpool,
a salary of £50,000 in Leicester delivers
equivalent purchasing power to £49,200 in Liverpool.
Leicester £50,000 ≈
£49,200
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
Cappuccino
Leicester
£2.39
Liverpool
£2.36
Transit (single trip)
Leicester
£1.48
Liverpool
£1.67
Gym membership
Leicester
£35/mo
Liverpool
£34/mo
Cinema ticket
Leicester
£10.08
Liverpool
£9.92
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Frequently asked questions
Does a software engineer earn more in Leicester or Liverpool?
+
Leicester pays a median £50,000 vs £52,000 in Liverpool
— a gross difference of £2,000.
However, after accounting for rent and living costs, Liverpool professionals
have £100/month more disposable income, making it the stronger city in real terms.
What is the take-home pay for a software engineer in Leicester vs Liverpool?
+
In Leicester: gross £50,000 → £3,293/month net take-home.
In Liverpool: gross £52,000 → £3,393/month net take-home.
After paying median 1-bed rent, Leicester leaves £2,493/month
vs Liverpool's £2,593/month.
What salary in Liverpool matches Leicester purchasing power?
+
Approximately £49,200 in Liverpool delivers equivalent purchasing power to
£50,000 in Leicester, based on a cost-of-living index of
63 (Leicester) vs 62 (Liverpool).
Is Leicester or Liverpool cheaper to live in?
+
Liverpool is cheaper overall, with a cost-of-living index of 62 vs 63 for Leicester (London = 100).
Rent in Leicester averages £800/month (1-bed)
vs £800/month in Liverpool.
What is the rent-to-income ratio for a software engineer in Leicester?
+
A software engineer in Leicester earning £50,000 takes home
£3,293/month. With median 1-bed rent of £800/month,
the rent-to-income ratio is 24%
(comfortable).
In Liverpool the equivalent ratio is 24%.