City Comparison · 2026

Coventry vs Derby 2026

West Midlands

Coventry

Median Salary £30,200

Cost of Living 65/100

Avg Rent (1 bed) £720/mo

Real Take-Home £23,600/yr

Job Growth ↑ 3.8%

Unemployment 5.1%

East Midlands

Derby

Median Salary £31,500

Cost of Living 65/100

Avg Rent (1 bed) £730/mo

Real Take-Home £24,200/yr

Job Growth ↑ 3.8%

Unemployment 4.8%

Verdict

Which City Wins?

Best Real-Terms Salary

Derby

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

Best for Affordability

Coventry

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

Highest Headline Salary

Derby

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

Lowest Rent

Coventry

More affordable average rents leave more of your salary in your pocket.

Best for Career Growth

Coventry

Higher job growth rate and more active job market for ambitious professionals.

Best Overall Value

Derby

When salary, cost of living and rent are all considered together.

Top Salaries: Coventry vs Derby

Coventry

Coventry is the UK City of Culture 2021 with a strong automotive and manufacturing heritage and two major universities.

Full Coventry Guide →

Derby

Derby is a major aerospace and manufacturing hub. Rolls-Royce headquarters here makes it one of the UK's leading engineering cities.

Full Derby Guide →

Live Jobs

Jobs in Coventry

Browse live Coventry vacancies on Reed right now.

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Live Jobs

Jobs in Derby

Browse live Derby vacancies on Reed right now.

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