Cost of living in Cambridge — is your salary enough?
Cambridge rents average £1,500/month, sustained by university, biotech, and tech-cluster demand. Cambridge earners in the tech and life-sciences sector can meet savings benchmarks, but general mid-income workers face a squeeze.
Rent in Cambridge
Other monthly costs
How different incomes stack up
At typical Cambridge costs (£1,500 rent)
See your personal verdict for Cambridge
Cost figures are estimates based on reported median rents and typical spending patterns. Savings benchmarks from ONS Living Costs & Food Survey FYE2024. Figures in GBP.
Frequently asked questions — Living in Cambridge
How much does it cost to live in Cambridge?+
Core monthly costs in Cambridge run about £2,700 — roughly £1,500 for rent and £1,200 for other living expenses (food, transport, utilities, basics). Cambridge rents average £1,500/month, sustained by university, biotech, and tech-cluster demand.
What is the median rent in Cambridge?+
The median rent in Cambridge is around £1,500 per month. Cambridge is classified as a high cost cost-of-living city in United Kingdom.
What salary do you need to live comfortably in Cambridge?+
Using the 70%-rule (core costs ≤ 70% of gross), you need roughly £46,286 per year before tax to live comfortably in Cambridge. That leaves room to hit the 16% savings benchmark for United Kingdom.
Is Cambridge expensive compared to the rest of United Kingdom?+
Cambridge sits in the high cost tier within United Kingdom. Cambridge earners in the tech and life-sciences sector can meet savings benchmarks, but general mid-income workers face a squeeze.
How much of your income should rent take in Cambridge?+
The standard rule is no more than 30% of gross income on rent. At £1,500/month in Cambridge, that means a gross income of at least £60,000 per year to stay under the 30% threshold.
Can you still save money living in Cambridge?+
Yes — the United Kingdom benchmark for mid-income earners is 16% of gross income. In a high cost city like Cambridge, hitting that rate is tighter but achievable with disciplined budgeting.
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