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City Comparison · 2026

Cheltenham vs Preston 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
Lancashire
Preston
Median Salary £29,500
Cost of Living 63/100
Avg Rent (1 bed) £680/mo
Real Take-Home £23,200/yr
Job Growth ↑ 3.5%
Unemployment 5.2%
Verdict

Which City Wins?

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

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 →

Preston

Preston is a major Lancashire city with significant aerospace and manufacturing employment driven by BAE Systems.

Full Preston Guide →
Live Jobs

Jobs in Cheltenham

Browse live Cheltenham vacancies on Reed right now.

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Live Jobs

Jobs in Preston

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