Cost of Living Comparison Between Belfast and Glasgow Cost of Living Comparison Between Belfast and Glasgow

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,137 in Belfast versus $2,467 in Glasgow.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,240 in Belfast versus $3,692 in Glasgow.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,343 in Belfast versus $4,918 in Glasgow.

Living in Belfast costs roughly 13% less than in Glasgow, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Belfast 60% above, Glasgow 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.96 £17.09

$20.17 £15.02

13.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £79.8

$98.5 £73.4

8.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 £8.08

$9.72 £7.23

11.63%

Cappuccino

$4.58 £3.41

$5.00 £3.73

-8.40%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 £1.96

$2.23 £1.66

18.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 £1.54

$1.45 £1.08

42.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 £6.16

$6.76 £5.04

22.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 £5.08

$6.73 £5.01

1.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 £1.35

$1.79 £1.34

1.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 £1.48

$1.64 £1.22

20.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 £2.11

$2.69 £2.00

5.58%

Eggs

$3.92 £2.92

$3.91 £2.91

0.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.31 £7.67

$9.87 £7.35

4.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 £7.91

$9.38 £6.98

13.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.54 £10.08

$13.96 £10.39

-3.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 £2.41

$3.41 £2.54

-4.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 £1.44

$1.87 £1.39

3.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 £2.50

$3.25 £2.42

3.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 £2.99

$3.65 £2.72

10.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 £1.31

$1.62 £1.21

8.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 £1.05

$1.92 £1.43

-26.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 £1.07

$1.25 £0.93

15.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.13

$1.55 £1.16

-1.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.63 £15.36

$21.29 £15.85

-3.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.08 £8.25

$10.92 £8.13

1.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 £2.01

$2.92 £2.18

-7.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 £2.78

$3.28 £2.44

13.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 £2.26

$4.03 £3.00

-24.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.3 £65.0

$93.6 £69.7

-6.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.59 £4.16

$5.35 £3.98

4.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 £1.27

$2.24 £1.67

-24.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.00 £20.10

$27.51 £20.48

-1.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.98 £1.48

-1.01%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$38.5K £28.7K

$38.6K £28.7K

-0.20%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$42.7K £31.8K

$38.9K £29.0K

9.80%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$146 £109

$381 £284

-61.65%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$18.28 £13.61

$17.48 £13.01

4.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 £31.78

$40.13 £29.87

6.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.00 £34.99

$50.2 £37.36

-6.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.74 £11.72

$19.51 £14.53

-19.32%

Cinema Ticket

$13.70 £10.20

$17.49 £13.02

-21.67%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,506 £1,121

$1,165 £867

29.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,861 £6,597

$18.7K £13.9K

-52.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.3 £63.5

$122 £90.8

-30.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.43 £36.06

$50.2 £37.35

-3.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £78.7

$108 £80.2

-1.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.0 £64.0

$109 £81.3

-21.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 £921

$1,400 £1,043

-11.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$954 £711

$1,007 £750

-5.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,954 £1,455

$2,805 £2,088

-30.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 £1,073

$1,825 £1,359

-21.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,155 £3,093

$4,122 £3,069

0.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,578 £1,920

$3,066 £2,283

-15.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,080 £2,293

$3,403 £2,534

-9.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.62

5.32

5.64%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Belfast: July 13, 2026

Last update for Glasgow: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,237 in Belfast and $1,400 in Glasgow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Glasgow pays 10% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $107 in Belfast vs $99.0 in Glasgow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $314 per month, with Glasgow cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Belfast vs Glasgow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belfast is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Glasgow. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,237 in Belfast versus $1,400 in Glasgow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Belfast versus $1,165 in Glasgow. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Glasgow pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,137 in Belfast versus $2,467 in Glasgow, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Belfast but tight or insufficient in Glasgow. The gap between the two cities makes Belfast the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Belfast is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Glasgow, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Belfast and Glasgow are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Belfast gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Glasgow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.