Home / Compare / Birmingham vs Nottingham
City Comparison · 2026

Birmingham vs Nottingham 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
East Midlands
Nottingham
Median Salary £30,200
Cost of Living 64/100
Avg Rent (1 bed) £720/mo
Real Take-Home £23,700/yr
Job Growth ↑ 3.4%
Unemployment 5.2%
Verdict

Which City Wins?

Best Real-Terms Salary
Birmingham
Best take-home pay after accounting for rent and cost of living.
Best for Affordability
Nottingham
Lower cost of living index means your money goes further every day.
Highest Headline Salary
Birmingham
Higher median salary before cost of living is taken into account.
Lowest Rent
Nottingham
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 Nottingham

Birmingham

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

Full Birmingham Guide →

Nottingham

Nottingham is a major retail and education centre in the East Midlands with growing bioscience and digital sectors.

Full Nottingham Guide →
Live Jobs

Jobs in Birmingham

Browse live Birmingham vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse Birmingham Jobs →
Live Jobs

Jobs in Nottingham

Browse live Nottingham vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse Nottingham Jobs →

More Comparisons

London vs Birmingham
£52,800 vs £33,200
Compare →
London vs Nottingham
£52,800 vs £30,200
Compare →
Manchester vs Birmingham
£36,500 vs £33,200
Compare →
Manchester vs Nottingham
£36,500 vs £30,200
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