City Comparison · 2026

Colchester vs Cheltenham 2026

East of England

Colchester

Median Salary £30,000

Cost of Living 68/100

Avg Rent (1 bed) £850/mo

Real Take-Home £23,000/yr

Job Growth ↑ 3.5%

Unemployment 4.2%

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

Colchester

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

Colchester

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: Colchester vs Cheltenham

Colchester

Colchester is Britain's oldest recorded town with a major Army garrison and growing university driving knowledge economy growth.

Full Colchester 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 Colchester

Browse live Colchester vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse Colchester Jobs →

Live Jobs

Jobs in Cheltenham

Browse live Cheltenham vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse Cheltenham Jobs →

More Comparisons

London vs Colchester

£52,800 vs £30,000

Compare →

London vs Cheltenham

£52,800 vs £34,000

Compare →

Manchester vs Colchester

£36,500 vs £30,000

Compare →

Manchester vs Cheltenham

£36,500 vs £34,000

Compare →

Birmingham vs Colchester

£33,200 vs £30,000

Compare →

Birmingham vs Cheltenham

£33,200 vs £34,000

Compare →

All City Comparisons →