Cost of living · 2026/27
Cardiff: Cost of Living 2026/27
Wales's capital. Welsh income tax mirrors England/NI for 2026/27 (Welsh Rate of Income Tax currently matches), so take-home is essentially the same as equivalent English cities. Rent moderate, council tax among the highest of the 15 cities here.
At a glance
- Typical 2-bed rent
- £1,100/mo
- Council Tax Band D
- £1,960/yr
- Median annual pay (FT)
- £33,540
- Population
- 373,000
Note. Welsh Rate of Income Tax (WRIT): the Welsh Parliament has power to deviate from England/NI rates, currently matches them for 2026/27.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| £33,540 (local median) | £2,306 | £1,206 | £1,042 |
| £50,000 | £3,293 | £2,193 | £2,030 |
| £75,000 | £4,505 | £3,405 | £3,241 |
| £100,000 | £5,713 | £4,613 | £4,450 |
Primary industries in Cardiff
- Public administration (Welsh Government)
- Higher education
- Media (BBC Wales, S4C)
- Finance
- Retail