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City Comparison · 2026

Portsmouth vs Cambridge 2026

South East England
Portsmouth
Median Salary £31,500
Cost of Living 70/100
Avg Rent (1 bed) £850/mo
Real Take-Home £23,800/yr
Job Growth ↑ 3.6%
Unemployment 4.5%
VS
East of England
Cambridge
Median Salary £42,000
Cost of Living 92/100
Avg Rent (1 bed) £1,450/mo
Real Take-Home £25,500/yr
Job Growth ↑ 5.2%
Unemployment 2.5%
Verdict

Which City Wins?

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

Top Salaries: Portsmouth vs Cambridge

Portsmouth

Portsmouth is a major naval base and maritime city with significant defence industry employment and two universities.

Full Portsmouth Guide →

Cambridge

Cambridge is home to the UK's most prestigious tech cluster — Silicon Fen — with world-leading biotechnology and AI companies.

Full Cambridge Guide →
Live Jobs

Jobs in Portsmouth

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Live Jobs

Jobs in Cambridge

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