City Comparison · 2026

Cambridge vs Shrewsbury 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%

West Midlands

Shrewsbury

Median Salary £28,500

Cost of Living 63/100

Avg Rent (1 bed) £720/mo

Real Take-Home £22,400/yr

Job Growth ↑ 3%

Unemployment 3.8%

Verdict

Which City Wins?

Best Real-Terms Salary

Cambridge

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

Best for Affordability

Shrewsbury

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

Shrewsbury

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 Shrewsbury

Cambridge

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

Full Cambridge Guide →

Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire with a strong public sector and growing tourism economy.

Full Shrewsbury Guide →

Live Jobs

Jobs in Cambridge

Browse live Cambridge vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse Cambridge Jobs →

Live Jobs

Jobs in Shrewsbury

Browse live Shrewsbury vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse Shrewsbury Jobs →

More Comparisons

London vs Cambridge

£52,800 vs £42,000

Compare →

London vs Shrewsbury

£52,800 vs £28,500

Compare →

Manchester vs Cambridge

£36,500 vs £42,000

Compare →

Manchester vs Shrewsbury

£36,500 vs £28,500

Compare →

Birmingham vs Cambridge

£33,200 vs £42,000

Compare →

Birmingham vs Shrewsbury

£33,200 vs £28,500

Compare →

All City Comparisons →