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City Comparison · 2026

Cambridge vs Lancaster 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%
VS
Lancashire
Lancaster
Median Salary £28,500
Cost of Living 63/100
Avg Rent (1 bed) £700/mo
Real Take-Home £22,600/yr
Job Growth ↑ 3.2%
Unemployment 4.5%
Verdict

Which City Wins?

Best Real-Terms Salary
Cambridge
Best take-home pay after accounting for rent and cost of living.
Best for Affordability
Lancaster
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
Lancaster
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 Lancaster

Cambridge

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

Full Cambridge Guide →

Lancaster

Lancaster is a historic city with Lancaster University driving the knowledge economy and growing digital and healthcare sectors.

Full Lancaster Guide →
Live Jobs

Jobs in Cambridge

Browse live Cambridge vacancies on Reed right now.

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Live Jobs

Jobs in Lancaster

Browse live Lancaster vacancies on Reed right now.

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