This paper examines the evolution of unskilled labour incomes in Seville, one of the most dynamic cities in the world during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, by reconstructing earnings from casual (daily) wages and annual salaries. The comparison of stable and casual labour incomes shows a broadly parallel evolution for much of the period. However, from the 1730s, they diverged, with stable incomes remaining resistant to inflation while casual incomes declined. A focus on household earnings might explain delayed wage adjustments. On the other hand, stable unskilled labour incomes exhibit a stronger correlation with GDP per capita than casual incomes, mirroring trends observed in England. Nonetheless, a notable divergence emerges when examining the behaviour and composition of annual salaries. First, the value of in-kind compensation in Seville exceeded the recently proposed ‘respectability basket’ benchmark. Uncritical reliance on this proxy risks undervaluing actual incomes. Second, while the cash component of salaries in England grew steadily, in Seville, in-kind compensation constituted the largest portion of the salary and remained almost unchanged throughout the Early Modern period. This difference underscores the distinct pay structures, likely reflecting the higher productivity of the English economy. The divergent evolution of Spanish and English stable labour incomes, with the latter experiencing consistent growth, illuminates the timing of the economic divergence between the two countries.