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City Comparison · 2026

Cheltenham vs Aberdeen 2026

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%
VS
Scotland
Aberdeen
Median Salary £40,000
Cost of Living 76/100
Avg Rent (1 bed) £900/mo
Real Take-Home £28,200/yr
Job Growth ↑ 3.2%
Unemployment 3.5%
Verdict

Which City Wins?

Best Real-Terms Salary
Aberdeen
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
Aberdeen
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
Aberdeen
When salary, cost of living and rent are all considered together.

Top Salaries: Cheltenham vs Aberdeen

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 →

Aberdeen

Aberdeen is the oil capital of Europe with above-average salaries driven by the energy sector despite a challenging transition period.

Full Aberdeen Guide →
Live Jobs

Jobs in Cheltenham

Browse live Cheltenham vacancies on Reed right now.

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Jobs in Aberdeen

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