Home / Compare / Chelmsford vs Cheltenham
City Comparison · 2026

Chelmsford vs Cheltenham 2026

East of England
Chelmsford
Median Salary £35,000
Cost of Living 78/100
Avg Rent (1 bed) £1,100/mo
Real Take-Home £24,200/yr
Job Growth ↑ 4%
Unemployment 3.5%
VS
South West England
Cheltenham
Median Salary £34,000
Cost of Living 72/100
Avg Rent (1 bed) £900/mo
Real Take-Home £25,100/yr
Job Growth ↑ 4.2%
Unemployment 3.2%
Verdict

Which City Wins?

Best Real-Terms Salary
Cheltenham
Best take-home pay after accounting for rent and cost of living.
Best for Affordability
Cheltenham
Lower cost of living index means your money goes further every day.
Highest Headline Salary
Chelmsford
Higher median salary before cost of living is taken into account.
Lowest Rent
Cheltenham
More affordable average rents leave more of your salary in your pocket.
Best for Career Growth
Cheltenham
Higher job growth rate and more active job market for ambitious professionals.
Best Overall Value
Cheltenham
When salary, cost of living and rent are all considered together.

Top Salaries: Chelmsford vs Cheltenham

Chelmsford

Chelmsford is a major commuter city for London with strong professional services and technology sectors.

Full Chelmsford Guide →

Cheltenham

Cheltenham is home to GCHQ and has a strong cybersecurity and technology cluster making it one of the South West's highest earning cities.

Full Cheltenham Guide →
Live Jobs

Jobs in Chelmsford

Browse live Chelmsford vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse Chelmsford Jobs →
Live Jobs

Jobs in Cheltenham

Browse live Cheltenham vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse Cheltenham Jobs →

More Comparisons

London vs Chelmsford
£52,800 vs £35,000
Compare →
London vs Cheltenham
£52,800 vs £34,000
Compare →
Manchester vs Chelmsford
£36,500 vs £35,000
Compare →
Manchester vs Cheltenham
£36,500 vs £34,000
Compare →
Birmingham vs Chelmsford
£33,200 vs £35,000
Compare →
Birmingham vs Cheltenham
£33,200 vs £34,000
Compare →
All City Comparisons →
Scroll to Top