London vs Leeds
Leeds wins on purchasing power. Leeds software engineers have £283/month more disposable income after rent than their London counterparts.
After paying rent, a software engineer in Leeds retains £283/month more than in London — that's £3,396/year extra in purchasing power.
London vs Leeds: what the £283/month gap means for a software engineer
On paper, London software engineer roles pay £20,000/year more than Leeds. But take-home after tax and National Insurance tells a different story — London workers keep £4,360/month versus £3,393/month in Leeds.
The bigger picture is after rent. Average London rent runs £2,150/month versus £900/month in Leeds. Once housing costs are factored in, Leeds workers have £2,493/month disposable income versus £2,210/month in London — that is £3,396/year in real spending power.
Leeds's rent-to-income ratio of 27% compares favourably to London's 49%.
For software engineers prioritising financial freedom, Leeds delivers significantly more disposable income despite lower gross pay.
Cost-of-living equivalence
Based on a cost-of-living index of 100 for London and 66 for Leeds, a salary of £72,000 in London delivers equivalent purchasing power to £47,500 in Leeds.
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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