This study investigated the electric field distribution of underground cable insulation in cross-linked polyethylene/ zinc oxide (XLPE/ ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) for medium-voltage (MV) cables. The ZnO NPs that were obtained by three methods of preparation were classified using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The obtained ZnO NPs were semi-spheres with sizes of 35–55 nm on TEM images. XLPE/ ZnO films with various ZnO NP weight contents (i.e., 0, 1, 3, and 5%) were exposed to varied dosages of 3-MeV electron beam (EB); 0 kGy, 15 kGy, 20 kGy, and 25 kGy. The optimum film XLPE/ 5-ZnO, which has ZnO NP content (5 wt%), irradiated at 25 kGy, according to alternating current (AC)/ DC conductivity (AC: 1 × 10− 4 S/m; DC: 12.44 × 10− 2 S/m) in minimum relative permittivity (2.24), was obtained. COMSOL Multiphysics was used to simulate the electric field distribution within an MV cable of 25-kGy XLPE/ 5-ZnO insulation. The maximum uniform electric field was found in the middle of the 25-kGy XLPE/5-ZnO film sample, rather than at the top or bottom, which might be attributed to the significantly low relative permittivity of the new 25-kGy XLPE/5-ZnO film cable.