City Comparison · 2026

Gloucester vs Lancaster 2026

South West England

Gloucester

Median Salary £30,500

Cost of Living 68/100

Avg Rent (1 bed) £800/mo

Real Take-Home £23,500/yr

Job Growth ↑ 3.8%

Unemployment 4.5%

Lancashire

Lancaster

Median Salary £28,500

Cost of Living 63/100

Avg Rent (1 bed) £700/mo

Real Take-Home £22,600/yr

Job Growth ↑ 3.2%

Unemployment 4.5%

Verdict

Which City Wins?

Best Real-Terms Salary

Gloucester

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

Best for Affordability

Lancaster

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

Highest Headline Salary

Gloucester

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

Lowest Rent

Lancaster

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

Best for Career Growth

Gloucester

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

Best Overall Value

Gloucester

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

Top Salaries: Gloucester vs Lancaster

Gloucester

Gloucester is home to GCHQ and has a strong aerospace and defence cluster alongside growing financial services.

Full Gloucester Guide →

Lancaster

Lancaster is a historic city with Lancaster University driving the knowledge economy and growing digital and healthcare sectors.

Full Lancaster Guide →

Live Jobs

Jobs in Gloucester

Browse live Gloucester vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse Gloucester Jobs →

Live Jobs

Jobs in Lancaster

Browse live Lancaster vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse Lancaster Jobs →

More Comparisons

London vs Gloucester

£52,800 vs £30,500

Compare →

London vs Lancaster

£52,800 vs £28,500

Compare →

Manchester vs Gloucester

£36,500 vs £30,500

Compare →

Manchester vs Lancaster

£36,500 vs £28,500

Compare →

Birmingham vs Gloucester

£33,200 vs £30,500

Compare →

Birmingham vs Lancaster

£33,200 vs £28,500

Compare →

All City Comparisons →