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City Comparison · 2026

Oxford vs Luton 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
East of England
Luton
Median Salary £31,500
Cost of Living 75/100
Avg Rent (1 bed) £1,000/mo
Real Take-Home £22,800/yr
Job Growth ↑ 3.8%
Unemployment 5.2%
Verdict

Which City Wins?

Best Real-Terms Salary
Oxford
Best take-home pay after accounting for rent and cost of living.
Best for Affordability
Luton
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
Luton
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
Oxford
When salary, cost of living and rent are all considered together.

Top Salaries: Oxford vs Luton

Oxford

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

Full Oxford Guide →

Luton

Luton is a major aviation hub with London Luton Airport driving significant logistics and hospitality employment.

Full Luton Guide →
Live Jobs

Jobs in Oxford

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Live Jobs

Jobs in Luton

Browse live Luton vacancies on Reed right now.

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