City Comparison · 2026

Oxford vs York 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%

North Yorkshire

York

Median Salary £31,000

Cost of Living 70/100

Avg Rent (1 bed) £900/mo

Real Take-Home £23,400/yr

Job Growth ↑ 3.8%

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

York

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

York

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 York

Oxford

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

Full Oxford Guide →

York

York is a historic city with a strong professional services and financial sector alongside significant tourism and chocolate manufacturing heritage.

Full York Guide →

Live Jobs

Jobs in Oxford

Browse live Oxford vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse Oxford Jobs →

Live Jobs

Jobs in York

Browse live York vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse York Jobs →

More Comparisons

London vs Oxford

£52,800 vs £40,000

Compare →

London vs York

£52,800 vs £31,000

Compare →

Manchester vs Oxford

£36,500 vs £40,000

Compare →

Manchester vs York

£36,500 vs £31,000

Compare →

Birmingham vs Oxford

£33,200 vs £40,000

Compare →

Birmingham vs York

£33,200 vs £31,000

Compare →

All City Comparisons →