Boroughly › Compare › Cambridge vs Oxford
Two areas people weigh against each other constantly. Here's the honest side-by-side — price, the seven life scores, and who each one actually suits.
| Criterion | Cambridge | Oxford |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Schools | 10/10 | 10/10 |
| Parks & green space | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Transport | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Diversity & inclusion | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| LGBTQ+ friendly | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Buzz & nightlife | 6/10 | 6/10 |
Oxford is the cheaper of the two — roughly £485k against £526k, about 8% less. Over a 25-year mortgage that gap is the single biggest practical difference between them.
Across the seven life scores they're closely matched, which usually means the decision comes down to the specific streets you view and how each place feels on a weekday evening.
| If you're… | Lean towards | Because |
|---|---|---|
| Families with school-age children | Cambridge | stronger combination of school and green-space scores |
| Young professionals | Cambridge | more going on in the evening and better connections |
| First-time buyers | Oxford | better price-to-transport trade-off |
| Anyone wanting a quieter life | Cambridge | calmer, greener and lower-crime scoring |
Oxford is cheaper on average. Cambridge runs about £526k to buy and £1,600/mo to rent a two-bed; Oxford is around £485k and £1,550/mo.
Cambridge scores better on the combination families usually weigh most — schools, green space and safety. Cambridge scores 10/10 for schools and 8/10 for parks; Oxford scores 10/10 and 8/10.
Cambridge scores 7/10 for transport and Oxford scores 7/10. Journey times depend far more on where you're actually going than on a general score — set your real destinations on the Boroughly map to compare door to door.