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Salary is only half the story

UK salary & cost of living comparison

Compare what two salaries are actually worth after 2026/27 tax and your own monthly costs. We do not guess your lifestyle or use opaque city indices.

Location A
£

Your monthly costs

£
£
£
£
£
Location B
£

Your monthly costs

£
£
£
£
£

Estimated monthly spending power

Manchester leaves you £320.00 more

After estimated Income Tax, NI and the monthly costs entered above.

London

£433.30 / month

Take-home pay£3,293.30
Entered costs−£2,860.00
Annual amount left£5,199.60
To have the same spending power in the other location, this lifestyle would need a gross salary of about £36,700.

Manchester

Better value

£753.30 / month

Take-home pay£2,813.30
Entered costs−£2,060.00
Annual amount left£9,039.60
To have the same spending power in the other location, this lifestyle would need a gross salary of about £56,600.

How to compare accurately

Use the housing cost you would genuinely pay in each location. Add council tax, utilities, commuting, food, childcare and regular lifestyle spending. Use the same assumptions on both sides for a fair comparison.

What is included

Net pay uses our 2026/27 take-home pay engine, including separate Scottish rates. This comparison excludes pension, student loans and benefits; use it as an estimate rather than financial advice.