City Comparison · 2026

London vs Stoke-on-Trent 2026

Greater London

London

Median Salary £52,800

Cost of Living 100/100

Avg Rent (1 bed) £2,100/mo

Real Take-Home £28,400/yr

Job Growth ↑ 4.2%

Unemployment 3.8%

Staffordshire

Stoke-on-Trent

Median Salary £27,500

Cost of Living 58/100

Avg Rent (1 bed) £600/mo

Real Take-Home £22,400/yr

Job Growth ↑ 3%

Unemployment 6.2%

Verdict

Which City Wins?

Best Real-Terms Salary

London

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

Best for Affordability

Stoke-on-Trent

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

Highest Headline Salary

London

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

Lowest Rent

Stoke-on-Trent

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

Best for Career Growth

London

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

Best Overall Value

London

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

Top Salaries: London vs Stoke-on-Trent

London

London is the UK's financial and economic capital, offering the highest salaries of any UK city but also the highest cost of living.

Full London Guide →

Stoke-on-Trent

Stoke-on-Trent is undergoing regeneration with bet365 as a major employer and growing logistics and manufacturing sectors.

Full Stoke-on-Trent Guide →

Live Jobs

Jobs in London

Browse live London vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse London Jobs →

Live Jobs

Jobs in Stoke-on-Trent

Browse live Stoke-on-Trent vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse Stoke-on-Trent Jobs →

More Comparisons

London vs Manchester

£52,800 vs £36,500

Compare →

London vs Birmingham

£52,800 vs £33,200

Compare →

London vs Edinburgh

£52,800 vs £38,900

Compare →

London vs Bristol

£52,800 vs £38,200

Compare →

London vs Leeds

£52,800 vs £34,800

Compare →

London vs Glasgow

£52,800 vs £35,200

Compare →

All City Comparisons →