Cambridge vs Oxford: 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 £55/month living in Cambridge vs Oxford — about £660 a year on essentials.
Where the money goes
Monthly spend per category. Cheaper bar is highlighted.
- RentΔ £50Cambridge£1,450Oxford£1,500
- BillsΔ £0Cambridge£393Oxford£393
- FoodΔ £5Cambridge£290Oxford£295
- TransportΔ £0Cambridge£85Oxford£85
Side-by-side monthly breakdown
Cambridge vs Oxford on the same salary, same household assumptions. The cheaper city in each row is highlighted.
| Category | Cambridge | Oxford |
|---|---|---|
| Take-home pay | £3,293 | £3,293 |
| Rent / housing | £1,450 | £1,500 |
| Bills | £393 | £393 |
| Food | £290 | £295 |
| Transport | £85 | £85 |
| Lifestyle & misc | £240 | £240 |
| Total essentials | £2,458 | £2,513 |
| Disposable left | £835 | £780 |
- Take-home payTied
- Rent / housing-£50Cheaper in Cambridge
- BillsTied
- Food-£5Cheaper in Cambridge
- TransportTied
- Lifestyle & miscTied
- Total essentials-£55Cheaper in Cambridge
- Disposable left+£55More for Cambridge
How Cambridge and Oxford 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.
Oxford. Oxford has rents on par with parts of inner London, driven by a constrained housing market and strong demand from the universities and research sector. Housing dominates. Public transport is reasonable, but most budgets here are shaped almost entirely by rent.
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
Comfortable. You can manage your expenses and maintain moderate savings.
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.
- Oxford: Housing eats 46% of your take-home in Oxford — 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