Edinburgh cobblestone street at twilight with warm streetlights

Where can I afford to
live in the UK?

Enter your salary. See every UK city ranked by how far your money actually goes.

✓ HMRC 2025/26 ✓ 10 UK cities ✓ Real cost data ✓ Free, no sign-up

Your situation

£ /year
£10,000 £35,000 £200,000
£
£

Common salary affordability snapshots

Based on HMRC 2025/26 rates, single household, PAYE, 5% pension, no student loan.

£25,000 salary

Take-home: ~£1,720/mo
CityMonthly surplusStatus
Belfast+£448Comfortable
Newcastle+£360Comfortable
Glasgow+£310Comfortable
Cardiff+£280Tight
London-£312Stretched

£35,000 salary

Take-home: ~£2,275/mo
CityMonthly surplusStatus
Belfast+£960Comfortable
Newcastle+£870Comfortable
Manchester+£780Comfortable
Bristol+£310Tight
London+£190Tight

£50,000 salary

Take-home: ~£3,100/mo
CityMonthly surplusStatus
Belfast+£1,880Comfortable
Glasgow+£1,700Comfortable
Leeds+£1,620Comfortable
Edinburgh+£1,200Comfortable
London+£820Comfortable

£80,000 salary

Take-home: ~£4,500/mo
CityMonthly surplusStatus
Belfast+£3,250Comfortable
Newcastle+£3,100Comfortable
Manchester+£2,900Comfortable
Bristol+£2,600Comfortable
London+£2,100Comfortable

Frequently asked questions

How is the monthly surplus calculated? ▾
Monthly surplus = take-home pay minus essential living costs (rent, utilities, groceries, transport, council tax). Take-home is calculated using HMRC 2025/26 income tax and National Insurance rates. Living costs are sourced from real regional data. A higher surplus means more money left over for savings, leisure, and emergencies.
What does "comfortable", "tight", and "stretched" mean? ▾
Comfortable (green): £500+ monthly surplus — enough for savings, leisure, and unexpected costs.
Tight (amber): £100–£499 surplus — workable but little room for error.
Stretched (red): Under £100 surplus, or a negative number — essential costs exceed your take-home.
Which UK cities are included? ▾
London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff, and Belfast. All major UK cities with distinct cost of living profiles.
Are Edinburgh and Glasgow calculated using Scottish tax rates? ▾
Yes. Scottish income tax rates (SRIT) apply to residents of Scotland. The calculator automatically uses Scottish tax bands for Edinburgh and Glasgow, which have an additional rate band at 39% for higher earners (£42,748–£125,140).
How does freelance / self-employed differ from PAYE? ▾
Freelancers pay Class 2 (9%) and Class 4 (2%) National Insurance instead of Class 1. The calculator also factors in an estimated £150/month accountancy fee. Generally, freelancers have a slightly lower net income at the same gross earnings due to higher NI rates.