Cambridge vs London: cost of living compared
On a £50k salary, the cheaper of the two saves you hundreds a month on essentials. Adjust the salary slider below to see how the gap shifts at your income — everything else (single renter, public transport, UK 2024/25 tax) is held constant.
Based on current UK tax rules and city cost benchmarks. Updated regularly.
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Cambridge
You save approximately £542/month living in Cambridge vs London — about £6,504 a year on essentials.
Where the money goes
Monthly spend per category. Cheaper bar is highlighted.
- RentΔ £400Cambridge£1,450London£1,850
- BillsΔ £23Cambridge£393London£370
- FoodΔ £30Cambridge£290London£320
- TransportΔ £95Cambridge£85London£180
Side-by-side monthly breakdown
Cambridge vs London on the same salary, same household assumptions. The cheaper city in each row is highlighted.
| Category | Cambridge | London |
|---|---|---|
| Take-home pay | £3,293 | £3,293 |
| Rent / housing | £1,450 | £1,850 |
| Bills | £393 | £370 |
| Food | £290 | £320 |
| Transport | £85 | £180 |
| Lifestyle & misc | £240 | £280 |
| Total essentials | £2,458 | £3,000 |
| Disposable left | £835 | £293 |
- Take-home payTied
- Rent / housing-£400Cheaper in Cambridge
- Bills+£23Cheaper in London
- Food-£30Cheaper in Cambridge
- Transport-£95Cheaper in Cambridge
- Lifestyle & misc-£40Cheaper in Cambridge
- Total essentials-£542Cheaper in Cambridge
- Disposable left+£542More for Cambridge
How Cambridge and London stack up
Cambridge. Cambridge has structurally tight housing supply and very high rent for a city of its size. Rent and the cost of running a car (most jobs are spread across the science parks) are the two main pressure points.
London. London is the UK's most expensive city to live in, with rent typically the single biggest factor in any budget. Housing is the dominant pressure point — most other categories (food, bills, transport passes) sit only 10–20% above the UK average.
Compare Cambridge with another city
Reality Score weighs take-home pay against essentials and any savings commitment to gauge how sustainable the setup is.
What this means
Comfortable. You can manage your expenses and maintain moderate savings.
Reality Score weighs take-home pay against essentials and any savings commitment to gauge how sustainable the setup is.
What this means
Stable. Your essentials are covered, with some room left over — though savings progress may be slow.
What this actually means
- Cambridge: Housing eats 44% of your take-home in Cambridge — well above the 30% healthy benchmark. A cheaper area or a flatmate would unlock real breathing room.
- London: Housing eats 56% of your take-home in London — well above the 30% healthy benchmark. A cheaper area or a flatmate would unlock real breathing room.
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Reality Score for this scenario: 72/100 — Comfortable
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These figures are estimates and may vary based on individual circumstances.
- Based on UK cost benchmarks
- Updated regularly
- Indicative estimates, not financial advice