Overview
Cheltenham is home to GCHQ and has a strong cybersecurity and technology cluster making it one of the South West's highest earning cities.
The median salary in Cheltenham is £34,000 per year. With a cost of living index of 72/100 (London = 100) and average rents of £900/month, residents typically retain £25,100 per year in real spending power after rent — an important figure that headline salaries don't reveal.
Cost of Living: Cheltenham vs UK Cities
Cost of living index where London = 100. Lower score = more affordable. Cheltenham is highlighted.
London
100
Edinburgh
79
Bristol
78
Manchester
72
Leeds
70
Birmingham
68
Cardiff
66
Liverpool
65
Sheffield
63
Newcastle
61
Best Paying Jobs in Cheltenham
Full city salary breakdown coming soon. Browse all UK salary guides →
Cheltenham Job Market at a Glance
| Median Annual Salary | £34,000 |
| Cost of Living Index | 72/100 |
| Average Rent (1 bed) | £900/mo |
| Real Take-Home After Rent | £25,100/yr |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.2% |
| Job Growth (YoY) | ↑ 4.2% |
| Population | 120,000 |
Top Industries in Cheltenham
Defence
GCHQ
Technology
Healthcare
Finance
Tourism
Major Employers in Cheltenham
GCHQ
NHS
Spirent Communications
The Times
University of Gloucestershire
Compare Cheltenham with Other Cities
Cheltenham vs London
£34,000 vs £52,800
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Cheltenham vs Manchester
£34,000 vs £36,500
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Cheltenham vs Birmingham
£34,000 vs £33,200
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Cheltenham vs Edinburgh
£34,000 vs £38,900
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Cheltenham vs Bristol
£34,000 vs £38,200
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Cheltenham vs Glasgow
£34,000 vs £35,200
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Data Sources
ONS Regional Stats 2026
HMRC PAYE Data
Rightmove Rental Index
Numbeo UK
Reed.co.uk