The UK’s richest workers don’t live or work in London
Professionals living in London are the poorest workers in Britain as expensive basic living costs eat up a large chunk of their salaries, according to the latest research.
Despite enjoying an average monthly salary of £2,348.49 Londoners were left with just £221.16 to spend after essential expenditures such as rent, travel and food are taken into account.
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Disposable income in the capital plunged 42 per cent over the last 12 months, according to research by CV-Library.
In comparison, workers in Manchester – where the average monthly salary this year was £2,002.31 – had £833.54 of disposable income each month, despite it suffering a 12 per cent drop compared to last year,
Professionals in Aberdeen, Hull and Edinburgh had the highest disposable income, and Aberdeen and Edinburgh also had the highest salaries.
Meanwhile, the lowest monthly salaries were Sheffield, Leicester and Liverpool.
Lee Biggins, founder and chief executive of CV-Library, said: “It’s clear from our findings that the North/South divide still very much remains here in the UK; particularly when it comes to pay and living costs.
“Companies are certainly under pressure to offer fair salaries that reflect the cost of living in their location and that’s why it’s important to factor this in when negotiating on pay with an existing or future employer.
“Living beyond your means can be extremely stressful so stay in tune with average costs in the town or city that you live and work in.”
| City | Average monthly salary | Basic monthly costs | Remaining income |
| Aberdeen | £2,400.50 | £950.55 | £1,449.95 |
| Hull | £2,084.20 | £845.62 | £1,238.58 |
| Edinburgh | £2,303.30 | £1,186.91 | £1,116.39 |
| Glasgow | £2,073.84 | £971.92 | £1,101.92 |
| Newcastle | £2,090.16 | £1,050.62 | £1,039.54 |
| Portsmouth | £2,113.05 | £1,088.09 | £1,024.96 |
| Leicester | £1,943.80 | £936.66 | £1,007.14 |
| Southampton | £2,049.65 | £1,052.15 | £997.50 |
| Exeter | £2,032.34 | £1,040.41 | £991.93 |
| Leeds | £1,969.60 | £1,028.72 | £940.88 |
| Cardiff | £1,968.03 | £1,029.07 | £938.96 |
| Sheffield | £1,882.37 | £958.29 | £924.08 |
| Liverpool | £1,957.27 | £1,038.96 | £918.31 |
| Brighton | £2,275.02 | £1,363.86 | £911.16 |
| Birmingham | £2,009.88 | £1,113.66 | £896.22 |
| Bristol | £2,140.19 | £1,291.10 | £849.09 |
| Manchester | £2,002.31 | £1,168.77 | £833.54 |
| London | £2,348.49 | £2,127.33 | £221.16 |