Home / Compare / Birmingham vs Cheltenham
City Comparison · 2026

Birmingham vs Cheltenham 2026

West Midlands
Birmingham
Median Salary £33,200
Cost of Living 68/100
Avg Rent (1 bed) £800/mo
Real Take-Home £25,100/yr
Job Growth ↑ 4.9%
Unemployment 4.8%
VS
South West England
Cheltenham
Median Salary £34,000
Cost of Living 72/100
Avg Rent (1 bed) £900/mo
Real Take-Home £25,100/yr
Job Growth ↑ 4.2%
Unemployment 3.2%
Verdict

Which City Wins?

Best Real-Terms Salary
Birmingham
Best take-home pay after accounting for rent and cost of living.
Best for Affordability
Birmingham
Lower cost of living index means your money goes further every day.
Highest Headline Salary
Cheltenham
Higher median salary before cost of living is taken into account.
Lowest Rent
Birmingham
More affordable average rents leave more of your salary in your pocket.
Best for Career Growth
Birmingham
Higher job growth rate and more active job market for ambitious professionals.
Best Overall Value
Birmingham
When salary, cost of living and rent are all considered together.

Top Salaries: Birmingham vs Cheltenham

Birmingham

Birmingham is the UK's second largest city undergoing significant regeneration with growing financial services and digital sectors.

Full Birmingham Guide →

Cheltenham

Cheltenham is home to GCHQ and has a strong cybersecurity and technology cluster making it one of the South West's highest earning cities.

Full Cheltenham Guide →
Live Jobs

Jobs in Birmingham

Browse live Birmingham vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse Birmingham Jobs →
Live Jobs

Jobs in Cheltenham

Browse live Cheltenham vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse Cheltenham Jobs →

More Comparisons

London vs Birmingham
£52,800 vs £33,200
Compare →
London vs Cheltenham
£52,800 vs £34,000
Compare →
Manchester vs Birmingham
£36,500 vs £33,200
Compare →
Manchester vs Cheltenham
£36,500 vs £34,000
Compare →
Birmingham vs Edinburgh
£33,200 vs £38,900
Compare →
Birmingham vs Bristol
£33,200 vs £38,200
Compare →
All City Comparisons →
Scroll to Top