The fact that London tends to be a rip-off is well known. It tends to be an enjoyable rip-off, but it is a rip-off all the same. The argument goes that despite the eye-watering costs for, well, everything, the higher wages on offer in the capital more than makes up for it. This is, of course, false, a new study has found that London is far from being the best place in the nation for disposable income, but it is not the very worst.
The numbers, crunched by Capgemini, the management consultation firm, reveal that Edinburgh is in fact the best place to be for disposable income, closely followed by Cardiff, Sheffield, Belfast and Bradford.
In Edinburgh it is apparently not unusual to be left with over £800 of your salary left over after paying rent, utility bills and travel costs, while Londoners are often left counting what they have left over in pennies rather than pounds (of course I jest, but only just).
Residents of the Scottish city are left with almost three times as much income as Londoners after bills and rent have been paid. Londoners on average are left with £300.
However, despite the ire that I am currently pouring on the capital, London is not actually the worst for disposable income, that accolade goes to Birmingham. Residents in the midlands have, on average, only £250 of left over income after rent and bills.
For accuracy, the results have been adjusted for cost, but nevertheless, please excuse me while I go and pack my bags and catch a train to Edinburgh.
Robert joined the HRreview editorial team in October 2015. After graduating from the University of Salford in 2009 with a BA in Politics, Robert has spent several years working in print and online journalism in Manchester and London. In the past he has been part of editorial teams at Flux Magazine, Mondo*Arc Magazine and The Marine Professional.
