THE high cost of living coupled with low salaries have left Brighton residents with the lowest amount of disposable income in the UK.

They have just £751 left to spend each month after paying for essentials such as tax, bills, rent, travel and food, according to analysis by personal finance comparison website Finder.com.

The amount is £332 below the UK average and compares to Derby, which is at the top of the league with almost twice the amount.

Residents in the East Midlands city earn around £200 a month above the national average and, with the second lowest cost of living, that leaves them with a disposable income of £1,456.

Lloyd Russell-Moyle, the Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, was “surprised and shocked” by the figures.

“There are two Brightons – the tourism one, where we put on a good show for visitors, and the one where people live here but can’t afford to take part in the entertainments and visit the pubs, clubs, restaurants and other things in the city.

“That’s a great shame for the city, because it contributes less to its economy, and it also builds an element of resentment and frustration.”

He added: “Brighton has an economy based on the service industry, and historically that is poorly paid.

“People have come down from London, which pushes up the cost of housing, and we are seeing a housing crisis nationally. We need to build more houses – not just two or three at a time, but two or three hundred. We should be particularly looking at rent controls too, making sure that people can live affordably in this city.”

Caroline Lucas, the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, said: “These deeply worrying figures demonstrate what people across Brighton have known for a long time - wages simply aren’t keeping up with the spiralling cost of living here.

“And when people are struggling to get by, there’s a real knock-on impact on local businesses.

“Brighton is facing a housing crisis, with a two-bed flat costing 65 per cent of the average salary and a severe lack of social housing even for those who desperately need it.

“As a result, we have shocking levels of homelessness.

“I’ve also stood alongside low-paid workers and I’ll keep campaigning in Parliament and locally for everyone to be paid a genuine living wage.”

Jon Ostler, Finder.com’s CEO, said: “People considering moving to a new city should have an idea of the cost of living there.

“It may seem counterintuitive, but this analysis shows that a lower wage offered in a different city doesn’t automatically mean you have less money to spend, and could actually see you keep more.”

According to the Brighton and Hove Economic Strategy 2018-23, which is being developed by Brighton and Hove City Council and Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership and is due to be finalised later this year, the earnings of people working in the city are below average.

“The document also points out that Brighton has one of the lowest levels of housing affordability of all UK cities, with the average house price nearly 11 times the average salary.