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City Comparison · 2026

Cambridge vs Sunderland 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
North East England
Sunderland
Median Salary £27,800
Cost of Living 58/100
Avg Rent (1 bed) £580/mo
Real Take-Home £22,600/yr
Job Growth ↑ 3%
Unemployment 6.2%
Verdict

Which City Wins?

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

Cambridge

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

Full Cambridge Guide →

Sunderland

Sunderland is home to Nissan's largest European plant and has a growing digital and technology sector driven by major investment.

Full Sunderland Guide →
Live Jobs

Jobs in Cambridge

Browse live Cambridge vacancies on Reed right now.

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Live Jobs

Jobs in Sunderland

Browse live Sunderland vacancies on Reed right now.

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