City Comparison · 2026

Cheltenham vs Chester 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%

Cheshire

Chester

Median Salary £32,000

Cost of Living 70/100

Avg Rent (1 bed) £850/mo

Real Take-Home £24,200/yr

Job Growth ↑ 3.8%

Unemployment 3.5%

Verdict

Which City Wins?

Best Real-Terms Salary

Cheltenham

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

Best for Affordability

Chester

Lower cost of living index means your money goes further every day.

Highest Headline Salary

Cheltenham

Higher median salary before cost of living is taken into account.

Lowest Rent

Chester

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: Cheltenham vs Chester

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 →

Chester

Chester is a historic Roman city with a strong financial services and tourism sector. MBNA is one of the largest private sector employers.

Full Chester Guide →

Live Jobs

Jobs in Cheltenham

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Jobs in Chester

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