City Comparison · 2026

Oxford vs Cheltenham 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%

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

Cheltenham

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

Cheltenham

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

Best for Career Growth

Oxford

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: Oxford vs Cheltenham

Oxford

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

Full Oxford 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 Oxford

Browse live Oxford vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse Oxford Jobs →

Live Jobs

Jobs in Cheltenham

Browse live Cheltenham vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse Cheltenham Jobs →

More Comparisons

London vs Oxford

£52,800 vs £40,000

Compare →

London vs Cheltenham

£52,800 vs £34,000

Compare →

Manchester vs Oxford

£36,500 vs £40,000

Compare →

Manchester vs Cheltenham

£36,500 vs £34,000

Compare →

Birmingham vs Oxford

£33,200 vs £40,000

Compare →

Birmingham vs Cheltenham

£33,200 vs £34,000

Compare →

All City Comparisons →