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City Comparison · 2026

St Albans vs Cheltenham 2026

South East England
St Albans
Median Salary £45,000
Cost of Living 90/100
Avg Rent (1 bed) £1,500/mo
Real Take-Home £26,500/yr
Job Growth ↑ 4.5%
Unemployment 2.2%
VS
South West England
Cheltenham
Median Salary £34,000
Cost of Living 72/100
Avg Rent (1 bed) £900/mo
Real Take-Home £25,100/yr
Job Growth ↑ 4.2%
Unemployment 3.2%
Verdict

Which City Wins?

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

Top Salaries: St Albans vs Cheltenham

St Albans

St Albans is one of the UK's most affluent towns with the highest average salaries outside London and very high living costs.

Full St Albans Guide →

Cheltenham

Cheltenham is home to GCHQ and has a strong cybersecurity and technology cluster making it one of the South West's highest earning cities.

Full Cheltenham Guide →
Live Jobs

Jobs in St Albans

Browse live St Albans vacancies on Reed right now.

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Live Jobs

Jobs in Cheltenham

Browse live Cheltenham vacancies on Reed right now.

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