Winner on purchasing power
Leicester
After paying rent, a software engineer in Leicester retains
£25/month more than in Sheffield —
that's £300/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
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
Leicester vs Sheffield: what the £25/month gap means for a software engineer
On paper, Leicester software engineer roles pay £0/year
more than Sheffield. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a
different story — Leicester workers keep £3,293/month versus
£3,293/month in Sheffield.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average Leicester rent runs £800/month
versus £825/month in Sheffield. Once housing costs are factored in,
Leicester workers have £2,493/month
disposable income versus £2,468/month in Sheffield —
that is £300/year in real spending power.
Leicester's rent-to-income ratio of 24%
compares favourably to Sheffield's 25%.
Monthly cost comparison
All figures monthly · 2025/26
| Category |
Leicester |
Sheffield |
Delta |
| Rent (1-bed median) |
£800 |
£825 |
+3% |
| Transport |
£62 |
£65 |
+5% |
| Council tax |
£118 |
£126 |
+7% |
| Groceries |
£258 |
£265 |
+3% |
| Disposable income remaining |
£1,922 |
£1,878 |
-2% |
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 63 for Sheffield,
a salary of £50,000 in Leicester delivers
equivalent purchasing power to £50,000 in Sheffield.
Leicester £50,000 ≈
£50,000
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
Leicester
£2.39
Sheffield
£2.39
Transit (single trip)
Leicester
£1.48
Sheffield
£1.55
Gym membership
Leicester
£35/mo
Sheffield
£35/mo
Cinema ticket
Leicester
£10.08
Sheffield
£10.08
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Frequently asked questions
Does a software engineer earn more in Leicester or Sheffield?
+
Leicester pays a median £50,000 vs £50,000 in Sheffield
— a gross difference of £0.
However, after accounting for rent and living costs, Leicester professionals
have £25/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 Sheffield?
+
In Leicester: gross £50,000 → £3,293/month net take-home.
In Sheffield: gross £50,000 → £3,293/month net take-home.
After paying median 1-bed rent, Leicester leaves £2,493/month
vs Sheffield's £2,468/month.
What salary in Sheffield matches Leicester purchasing power?
+
Approximately £50,000 in Sheffield delivers equivalent purchasing power to
£50,000 in Leicester, based on a cost-of-living index of
63 (Leicester) vs 63 (Sheffield).
Is Leicester or Sheffield cheaper to live in?
+
Leicester and Sheffield have the same cost-of-living index of 63 (London = 100).
Rent in Leicester averages £800/month (1-bed)
vs £825/month in Sheffield.
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 Sheffield the equivalent ratio is 25%.