Comparing salaries between UK cities
A £45,000 salary stretches very differently in London than in Manchester. This tool works out the 'equivalent salary' you'd need elsewhere to keep the same disposable income, your take-home pay after tax, minus typical local living costs.
Disposable income, not headline pay
Comparing gross salaries between cities is misleading because two things change: the tax you pay (Scotland has different bands) and your cost of living, dominated by rent. What actually matters is disposable income, what's left after tax and the basics. This calculator holds your disposable income constant and solves for the gross salary that delivers it in the new city.
Rent is the biggest factor
For most people moving cities, rent is the single largest difference. London rents can be double those in the North, which is why a much higher salary is often needed just to break even. Transport, groceries and utilities also vary, but rent usually dominates the calculation.
Don't forget Scottish income tax
If you move to or from Scotland, your income tax changes. Scotland has additional bands and different rates, so the same gross salary produces a different take-home. This tool applies Scottish rates automatically for Scottish cities.
Negotiate on disposable income
£45,000 Manchester to London
On £45,000 in Manchester, your take-home is your salary minus income tax, National Insurance and pension. Subtract Manchester's typical living costs and you have a disposable figure. London's higher rent means you'd need a noticeably higher gross, often several thousand pounds more, to be left with the same amount of spending money each year.
Common city-comparison mistakes
- Comparing gross salaries directly. Tax and cost of living change the real value of the same number between cities.
- Ignoring Scottish income tax. Moving across the border changes your take-home even at the same gross salary.
- Underestimating rent differences. Rent is usually the dominant factor and can wipe out a sizeable pay rise.
- Forgetting one-off moving costs. Deposits, removals and overlap rent can dent the first year of a move.