City Comparison · 2026

Sheffield vs Peterborough 2026

South Yorkshire

Sheffield

Median Salary £30,800

Cost of Living 63/100

Avg Rent (1 bed) £700/mo

Real Take-Home £24,200/yr

Job Growth ↑ 3.5%

Unemployment 4.9%

East of England

Peterborough

Median Salary £30,500

Cost of Living 67/100

Avg Rent (1 bed) £800/mo

Real Take-Home £23,500/yr

Job Growth ↑ 3.8%

Unemployment 4.8%

Verdict

Which City Wins?

Best Real-Terms Salary

Sheffield

Best take-home pay after accounting for rent and cost of living.

Best for Affordability

Sheffield

Lower cost of living index means your money goes further every day.

Highest Headline Salary

Sheffield

Higher median salary before cost of living is taken into account.

Lowest Rent

Sheffield

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

Best for Career Growth

Peterborough

Higher job growth rate and more active job market for ambitious professionals.

Best Overall Value

Sheffield

When salary, cost of living and rent are all considered together.

Top Salaries: Sheffield vs Peterborough

Sheffield

Sheffield has transformed from a steel city into a centre for advanced manufacturing and digital with very affordable living costs.

Full Sheffield Guide →

Peterborough

Peterborough is a major logistics and distribution hub with excellent road and rail connections to London.

Full Peterborough Guide →

Live Jobs

Jobs in Sheffield

Browse live Sheffield vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse Sheffield Jobs →

Live Jobs

Jobs in Peterborough

Browse live Peterborough vacancies on Reed right now.

Browse Peterborough Jobs →

More Comparisons

London vs Sheffield

£52,800 vs £30,800

Compare →

London vs Peterborough

£52,800 vs £30,500

Compare →

Manchester vs Sheffield

£36,500 vs £30,800

Compare →

Manchester vs Peterborough

£36,500 vs £30,500

Compare →

Birmingham vs Sheffield

£33,200 vs £30,800

Compare →

Birmingham vs Peterborough

£33,200 vs £30,500

Compare →

All City Comparisons →