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City Comparison · 2026

Northampton vs Cheltenham 2026

East Midlands
Northampton
Median Salary £30,000
Cost of Living 66/100
Avg Rent (1 bed) £750/mo
Real Take-Home £23,500/yr
Job Growth ↑ 3.5%
Unemployment 4.8%
VS
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
Northampton
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
Northampton
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: Northampton vs Cheltenham

Northampton

Northampton has excellent logistics connections and a strong financial services sector driven by Barclays and other financial firms.

Full Northampton 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 Northampton

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Jobs in Cheltenham

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