Residents in Brighton have the highest per capita income of any city in Britain, exclusive data revealed by This is Money.
Brighton residents, on average, can spend £1,315 a month – almost 30 per cent more than those living in London, who spend £1,013 on average. .
The data points to how the North and South are divided when it comes to value for money and income levels.
For example, Nottingham is third in the list with an affordable income of £1,055, followed by those in the city, possibly due to higher rents in London.
MoneySuperMarket’s Household Money Index – a comprehensive survey of 31 different bills and issues – showed that most Europeans have a disposable income of £836 per month, but this varies by location.
Residents in Southampton and Cardiff pay the most at £914.38 and £893.07 respectively per month, the survey added.
At the other end of the scale, people living in Bristol, who have high property prices, only had £430.73 worth of cash to give at the end of the month, the lowest of analyzed cities.
In Liverpool and Leeds, the average income levels are £541.82 and £543.82 respectively.
Meanwhile, people in Birmingham have the most £871.02 in net income after bills and outgoings, compared to £869.93 in Manchester.
Belfast is second in the list, Glasgow is fifth – the latter is a surprise to Edinburgh in 15th.
On average, across Britain the monthly disposable income is £836, representing an increase of £195 year-on-year and over £150 for the quarter, representing a jump 22 percent since September.
Share of income spent on bills
In September 2023, MoneySuperMarket found that people across Britain were spending 70 per cent of their monthly income on bills and outgoings.
By September 2024, this figure had dropped to 69 percent, and according to today’s data it has dropped to 62 percent.
Across Britain, the average adult spends £46.40 a day on bills and services, compared to £51.13 in September.
Each month, households spend around £1,392 on bills and outgoings, which is £142 less than in September.
Outlays can include everything from mortgages and rent to council tax, electricity bills, broadband bills, insurance policies and motor fuel.
With higher and lower prices, people living in Brighton typically spend up to 45 per cent of their monthly income on bills and outgoings.
Data: The city’s best and worst possible levels, according to MoneySupermarket data
At the other end of the spectrum, Edinburgh residents spend 78 per cent of their monthly income on bills and outgoings, the highest proportion of any city assessed.
With so much money going on bills and outgoings, Edinburgh residents are left with just £518 of disposable income each month, MoneySuperMarket’s Home Equity Indexsaid.
Several cities in the south of England, such as Brighton, London and Southampton, have all fallen below the average amount of money spent on bills and exits.
People living in London, according to reports, spend 60 per cent of their income on bills and outgoings each month, just below the national average of five per cent less than Manchester.
In Southampton, residents typically spend around 55 per cent of their income on utilities and bills each month, which is below the national average.
However, northern cities such as Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Sheffield are all above average when it comes to the amount of monthly income spent on bills and outgoings. Many towns in the north of England have seen property prices rise in recent years.
In Liverpool and Leeds, residents spend 72 and 71 per cent of their income on monthly bills and outgoings respectively, meaning they earn less than cities such as Brighton, Belfast and Nottingham.
Nottingham was found to be the cheapest place to live in terms of daily outgoings, with residents paying just £32.70 per day for bills and outgoings.
Kara Gammell, head of MoneySupermarket, said: ‘While our index shows spending on bills and expenses has fallen by around 10 per cent since September, it also shows the widening of the gap in household income across the UK.
‘In some areas, people earn three times more than others.’
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