Country guide · United Kingdom
Moving to United Kingdom: cost of living, salaries, taxes, visas
London anchors one of the world's most expensive housing markets; post-Brexit points-based immigration replaced EU freedom of movement.
The United Kingdom — anchored by London for our cost data — is a tale of two markets. London sits among the most expensive cities globally, with rent absorbing the majority of mid-career professional salaries. Regional cities (Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh) run 30-50% below London on both rent and overall cost.
Post-Brexit, the UK rebuilt its immigration system around a points-based framework: Skilled Worker, Global Talent, and the High Potential Individual routes are the dominant entries. EU citizens face the same process as everyone else.
At a glance
United Kingdom relocation profile
Mundevo coverage in United Kingdom
Cost-of-living detail pages for each United Kingdom city in the catalog.
| City | Cost index | Rent index | Safety | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 95 | 90 | 60 | 9,000,000 |
| Edinburgh | 75 | 65 | 65 | 510,000 |
| Manchester | 70 | 60 | 50 | 550,000 |
Tax and visa landscape
Headline tax model + entry-point visa overview for relocators.
- Effective income tax: 18.0%
- Social security (employee): 8.0%
- Total payroll deduction: 26.0%
- VAT: 20.0%
- Currency: GBP
Effective rates assume a single salaried filer at country median wage. Special regimes (e.g. expat-favoring schemes) are not applied here — see the visa guide for those.
Visa categories, residency routes, and tax-regime context for relocators are detailed in the dedicated visa guide.
United Kingdom visa guide →Salary bands at London — by role
Illustrative gross-salary bands for 6 senior IC roles in London. Derived from NYC anchor × United Kingdom pay-tier multiplier. Cross-check Levels.fyi, Glassdoor before negotiating.
| Role | P25 | P50 | P75 | NYC anchor (P50) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software engineer | £79,884 | £99,167 | £126,713 | $180,000 |
| Product manager | £82,639 | £107,431 | £143,241 | $195,000 |
| UX / product designer | £60,602 | £79,884 | £107,431 | $145,000 |
| Marketing manager | £56,076 | £76,736 | £103,299 | $130,000 |
| Data scientist | £74,375 | £96,412 | £126,713 | $175,000 |
| Finance analyst | £73,588 | £103,692 | £147,176 | $155,000 |
Top relocation corridors
Closest peers by cost-of-living index — the moves most commonly considered alongside United Kingdom.