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City Comparison · 2026

Oxford vs Belfast 2026

South East England
Oxford
Median Salary £40,000
Cost of Living 90/100
Avg Rent (1 bed) £1,400/mo
Real Take-Home £25,000/yr
Job Growth ↑ 4.5%
Unemployment 2.8%
VS
Northern Ireland
Belfast
Median Salary £31,000
Cost of Living 65/100
Avg Rent (1 bed) £750/mo
Real Take-Home £24,200/yr
Job Growth ↑ 4.8%
Unemployment 3.5%
Verdict

Which City Wins?

Best Real-Terms Salary
Oxford
Best take-home pay after accounting for rent and cost of living.
Best for Affordability
Belfast
Lower cost of living index means your money goes further every day.
Highest Headline Salary
Oxford
Higher median salary before cost of living is taken into account.
Lowest Rent
Belfast
More affordable average rents leave more of your salary in your pocket.
Best for Career Growth
Belfast
Higher job growth rate and more active job market for ambitious professionals.
Best Overall Value
Oxford
When salary, cost of living and rent are all considered together.

Top Salaries: Oxford vs Belfast

Oxford

Oxford combines world-class academia with a growing biomedical and technology cluster. Very high cost of living relative to salary.

Full Oxford Guide →

Belfast

Belfast has emerged as a major technology hub with significant investment from US tech companies attracted by competitive costs.

Full Belfast Guide →
Live Jobs

Jobs in Oxford

Browse live Oxford vacancies on Reed right now.

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Live Jobs

Jobs in Belfast

Browse live Belfast vacancies on Reed right now.

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