What constitutes a decent wage is far more than just the number on your payslip — it’s all about the lifestyle that income affords you.

For example, Londoners make more on average than anyone else in the UK. But given the astronomical cost of living, they don’t always have much to show for it by the end of the month.

According to new research, the capital is technically the worst-paid city in the country, losing out to 33 others when salaries were compared to expenses.

While workers in Middlesborough take home an average of £21,514 less each year, Smoggies are far better off than those in the Big Smoke, with the Teesside spot taking the overall crown for affordability.

Using government and industry data, takepayments analysed 15 factors – from rent and bills to the price of a pint – against wages in the biggest cities across the UK, giving each one a score out of 10.

Middlesborough ranked top in the index with 6.51, largely thanks to its £139,855 average house price and £609 monthly rents, which make up for a relatively low average salary of £36,649.

This was followed by Sunderland (6.3) and Newcastle (6.11), also North East cities boasting a famously reasonable cost of living.

On the contrary, London scored just 3.91, as despite a winning £58,163 wage, this was balanced out by highest property prices (£516,710), rent per month (£1,933) and annual car insurance premiums (£1,190)

Next up were Brighton and Bristol with affordability ratings of 3.5 and 4.15 respectively. And although Manchester, Edinburgh and Leeds featured, six of the ten least affordable cities were in the South of England, reinforcing the North-South living expense divide even further.

However, Jodie Wilkinson, head of strategic partnerships at takepayments, notes: ‘Many cities where affordability is high also rank among the lowest for disposable income and wages. According to ONS’ regional labour market data from the last quarter of 2024, the North East has an employment rate of 70.3%, which is below the national average of 75% while Northern Ireland’s rate is 72.1%.

‘Looking ahead, job creation is expected to favour London and Southern England. In contrast, all other areas are estimated to increase slower than the UK’s average, including the North East. For jobseekers and businesses alike, this highlights the trade-off between cost of living and access to employment.’

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