Home / Compare / Oxford vs Northampton
City Comparison · 2026

Oxford vs Northampton 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 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%
Verdict

Which City Wins?

Best Real-Terms Salary
Oxford
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
Oxford
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
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 Northampton

Oxford

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

Full Oxford Guide →

Northampton

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

Full Northampton Guide →
Live Jobs

Jobs in Oxford

Browse live Oxford vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse Oxford Jobs →
Live Jobs

Jobs in Northampton

Browse live Northampton vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse Northampton Jobs →

More Comparisons

London vs Oxford
£52,800 vs £40,000
Compare →
London vs Northampton
£52,800 vs £30,000
Compare →
Manchester vs Oxford
£36,500 vs £40,000
Compare →
Manchester vs Northampton
£36,500 vs £30,000
Compare →
Birmingham vs Oxford
£33,200 vs £40,000
Compare →
Birmingham vs Northampton
£33,200 vs £30,000
Compare →
All City Comparisons →
Scroll to Top