Cost of living · 2026/27
Cardiff: Cost of Living 2026/27
Wales's capital. Welsh income tax mirrors England/NI for 2026/27 (the Welsh Rates of Income Tax stay at 10p in each band), so take-home is essentially the same as equivalent English cities. Rent moderate, and Cardiff's 2026/27 average Band D (£2,013) is the lowest of any Welsh billing authority - and lower than every English city in this set.
At a glance
- Typical 2-bed rent
- £1,075/mo
- Council Tax Band D
- £2,013/yr
- Median annual pay (FT)
- £38,272
- Population
- 373,000
Note. Welsh Rates of Income Tax (WRIT): the Senedd has power to deviate from England/NI rates but set WRIT at 10p in each band for 2026/27, keeping rates identical. The Band D figure is the gov.wales average for Cardiff including community council and South Wales Police precepts.
Take-home after rent in Cardiff
Monthly take-home for common UK salaries, using Wales tax rates (our salary calculator), then subtracting typical rent and monthly council tax / rates.
| Gross | Take-home /mo | After rent | After rent + council tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| £38,272 (local median) | £2,590 | £1,515 | £1,347 |
| £50,000 | £3,293 | £2,218 | £2,051 |
| £75,000 | £4,505 | £3,430 | £3,262 |
| £100,000 | £5,713 | £4,638 | £4,470 |
Primary industries in Cardiff
- Public administration (Welsh Government)
- Higher education
- Media (BBC Wales, S4C)
- Finance
- Retail