City Comparison · 2026

Cambridge vs Colchester 2026

East of England

Cambridge

Median Salary £42,000

Cost of Living 92/100

Avg Rent (1 bed) £1,450/mo

Real Take-Home £25,500/yr

Job Growth ↑ 5.2%

Unemployment 2.5%

East of England

Colchester

Median Salary £30,000

Cost of Living 68/100

Avg Rent (1 bed) £850/mo

Real Take-Home £23,000/yr

Job Growth ↑ 3.5%

Unemployment 4.2%

Verdict

Which City Wins?

Best Real-Terms Salary

Cambridge

Best take-home pay after accounting for rent and cost of living.

Best for Affordability

Colchester

Lower cost of living index means your money goes further every day.

Highest Headline Salary

Cambridge

Higher median salary before cost of living is taken into account.

Lowest Rent

Colchester

More affordable average rents leave more of your salary in your pocket.

Best for Career Growth

Cambridge

Higher job growth rate and more active job market for ambitious professionals.

Best Overall Value

Cambridge

When salary, cost of living and rent are all considered together.

Top Salaries: Cambridge vs Colchester

Cambridge

Cambridge is home to the UK's most prestigious tech cluster — Silicon Fen — with world-leading biotechnology and AI companies.

Full Cambridge Guide →

Colchester

Colchester is Britain's oldest recorded town with a major Army garrison and growing university driving knowledge economy growth.

Full Colchester Guide →

Live Jobs

Jobs in Cambridge

Browse live Cambridge vacancies on Reed right now.

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Live Jobs

Jobs in Colchester

Browse live Colchester vacancies on Reed right now.

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