Cost of Living Comparison Between Brighton and Glasgow Cost of Living Comparison Between Brighton and Glasgow

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,017 in Brighton versus $2,475 in Glasgow.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,299 in Brighton versus $3,746 in Glasgow.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,581 in Brighton versus $5,018 in Glasgow.

Living in Brighton is roughly 22% more expensive than in Glasgow, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brighton 120% above, Glasgow 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.51 £18.86

$23.02 £17.02

10.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.7 £72.2

$68.8 £50.9

41.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 £7.55

$10.68 £7.89

-4.40%

Cappuccino

$5.37 £3.97

$4.98 £3.68

7.83%

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

$4.07 £3.01

$2.28 £1.68

78.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 £2.52

$1.82 £1.35

87.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.88 £6.57

$5.78 £4.27

53.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.27 £6.85

$6.58 £4.86

40.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.42

$1.64 £1.21

17.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 £1.58

$1.39 £1.03

53.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 £1.61

$2.01 £1.49

7.96%

Eggs

$4.50 £3.33

$3.85 £2.84

16.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 £8.93

$9.93 £7.34

21.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.34 £6.91

$9.48 £7.01

-1.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.64 £11.56

$18.95 £14.01

-17.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 £2.21

$2.81 £2.07

6.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 £1.44

$1.68 £1.24

16.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 £2.22

$2.85 £2.11

5.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 £2.83

$3.08 £2.28

24.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 £1.67

$1.78 £1.32

26.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 £1.42

$1.53 £1.13

25.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 £0.89

$1.16 £0.86

3.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.69 £1.25

2.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.63 £17.47

$24.33 £17.98

-2.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.45 £8.46

$11.13 £8.23

2.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 £2.20

$3.32 £2.46

-10.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 £2.39

$3.20 £2.36

0.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.13 £3.06

$4.12 £3.04

0.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$131 £97.2

$103 £76.3

27.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.17 £3.82

$5.85 £4.32

-11.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.76 £2.04

$1.20 £0.89

130.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.30 £29.79

$63.4 £46.83

-36.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 £1.57

$2.03 £1.50

4.93%

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

$39.6K £29.3K

$39.7K £29.4K

-0.42%

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

$40.9K £30.2K

$41.9K £31.0K

-2.44%

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

$290 £215

$342 £253

-15.24%

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

$17.06 £12.61

$20.02 £14.80

-14.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.56 £33.68

$42.24 £31.22

7.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 £37.66

$45.13 £33.36

12.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.99 £20.69

$20.67 £15.28

35.41%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 £13.11

$16.03 £11.85

10.67%

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

$2,073 £1,532

$931 £688

122.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K £23.2K

$21.8K £16.1K

44.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.5 £69.9

$138 £102

-31.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.51 £34.38

$46.04 £34.03

1.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 £77.0

$106 £78.1

-1.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.7 £67.8

$92.6 £68.4

-0.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 £1,437

$1,382 £1,021

40.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 £1,111

$1,089 £805

37.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,897 £2,141

$2,775 £2,051

4.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,273 £1,680

$2,055 £1,519

10.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,617 £6,369

$4,208 £3,110

104.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,437 £4,758

$3,170 £2,343

103.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,415 £2,524

$3,459 £2,557

-1.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.12

4.75

7.79%

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

Last update for Brighton: August 30, 2026

Last update for Glasgow: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,944 in Brighton and $1,382 in Glasgow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Glasgow pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $98.0 in Brighton vs $69.0 in Glasgow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $317 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

Brighton vs Glasgow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brighton and Glasgow differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($3,017 vs $2,475 including rent). Glasgow is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1% 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: $1,944 in Brighton versus $1,382 in Glasgow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,073 in Brighton versus $931 in Glasgow. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Brighton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,475 in Glasgow versus $3,017 in Brighton, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Glasgow but tight or insufficient in Brighton. The gap between the two cities makes Glasgow the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Brighton 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 Glasgow gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Brighton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.