City A
Annual salary (gross)
£
City B
Annual salary (gross)
£
Home size
I have children in childcare
Number of children
Pre-school age (assumed age 2)
Hours per week (per child)
hrs
Nursery rates: London £9.00/hr, Manchester £6.50/hr. Includes free hours and Tax-Free Childcare where eligible.
Pension contribution
Applied to both cities
%
Student loan plan
Tax code
Default 1257L
Share your result
The verdict
You're £505/mo better off in Manchester
London disposable
£408
Manchester disposable
£913
Net pay — London
£3,635/mo
£43,617/year from £60,000
Net pay — Manchester
£2,858/mo
£34,300/year from £45,000
Annual difference
£6,060/yr
In favour of Manchester
Where your salary goes (monthly)
Cost-of-living breakdown (monthly)
Detailed monthly comparison
Category
London
Manchester
Income
Gross salary
£5,000
£3,750
Income Tax
-£853
-£503
National Insurance
-£263
-£201
Pension
-£250
-£188
Net take-home
£3,635
£2,858
Monthly costs
Rent (1-bed)
-£2,100
-£1,100
Council Tax
-£175
-£155
Transport
-£160
-£80
Groceries
-£280
-£240
Eating Out & Social
-£250
-£160
Utilities
-£150
-£135
Broadband
-£32
-£30
Occasional Uber
-£80
-£45
Total costs
-£3,227
-£1,945
Disposable income
£408
£913
Guide
How we calculate your comparison
- Income Tax (England or Scottish bands, auto-detected by city)
- National Insurance contributions
- Pension salary sacrifice
- Student loan repayments (if applicable)
- Personal Allowance taper for salaries above £100k
- Rent: average 1-bed flat (HomeLet Rental Index, ONS)
- Council Tax: Band D average (GOV.UK)
- Transport: monthly commute (TfL, local transit data)
- Groceries: single adult monthly spend (ONS Family Spending)
- Utilities: gas, electric, water (Ofgem, regional data)
- Broadband: average monthly cost (Ofcom)
- Disposable = net take-home pay - total monthly costs
- This is what you have left to spend, save, or invest
Cost-of-living figures are city averages. Your actual costs will vary based on neighbourhood, lifestyle, and personal choices. Use this as a starting point for comparison, not a guarantee. Tax rates and thresholds are for the 2025/26 UK tax year. This is not financial advice.
Back to calculator