Cost of Living Comparison Between Bristol and Glasgow Cost of Living Comparison Between Bristol and Glasgow

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,954 in Bristol versus $2,475 in Glasgow.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,234 in Bristol versus $3,746 in Glasgow.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,515 in Bristol versus $5,018 in Glasgow.

Living in Bristol is roughly 19% more expensive than in Glasgow, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bristol 115% above, Glasgow 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.11 £17.84

$23.02 £17.03

4.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$114 £84.7

$68.8 £50.9

66.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 £8.07

$10.68 £7.90

2.15%

Cappuccino

$5.36 £3.97

$4.98 £3.68

7.63%

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

$2.72 £2.01

$2.28 £1.69

19.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 £1.39

$1.82 £1.35

3.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.94 £5.87

$5.78 £4.28

37.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.59 £4.88

$6.58 £4.87

0.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.64 £1.21

-3.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 £1.30

$1.39 £1.03

26.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 £1.49

$2.01 £1.49

0.50%

Eggs

$4.42 £3.27

$3.85 £2.85

14.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.68 £6.42

$9.93 £7.35

-12.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 £7.01

$9.48 £7.02

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.15 £9.73

$18.95 £14.02

-30.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 £2.39

$2.81 £2.08

14.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 £1.31

$1.68 £1.24

4.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 £1.96

$2.85 £2.11

-7.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 £3.12

$3.08 £2.28

37.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 £1.60

$1.78 £1.32

21.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 £1.15

$1.53 £1.13

1.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 £0.91

$1.16 £0.86

6.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 £1.53

$1.69 £1.25

22.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.16 £17.87

$24.33 £18.00

-0.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.66 £7.89

$11.13 £8.23

-4.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 £2.16

$3.32 £2.46

-11.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 £2.76

$3.20 £2.37

16.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 £2.49

$4.12 £3.05

-18.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$122 £90.3

$103 £76.4

18.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 £2.55

$5.85 £4.32

-41.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 £1.28

$1.20 £0.89

45.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.57 £20.40

$63.4 £46.87

-56.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.59

$2.03 £1.50

5.42%

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

$39.9K £29.5K

$39.7K £29.4K

0.27%

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

$42.1K £31.1K

$41.9K £31.0K

0.41%

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

$332 £245

$342 £253

-3.19%

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

$17.23 £12.75

$20.02 £14.81

-13.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.04 £29.62

$42.24 £31.25

-5.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.68 £36.75

$45.13 £33.38

10.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.98 £8.86

$20.67 £15.29

-42.04%

Cinema Ticket

$14.16 £10.47

$16.03 £11.86

-11.67%

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

$2,311 £1,710

$931 £688

148.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K £18.7K

$21.8K £16.1K

16.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 £77.0

$138 £102

-24.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.20 £36.40

$46.04 £34.06

6.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 £81.6

$106 £78.2

4.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.0 £72.5

$92.6 £68.5

5.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,959 £1,450

$1,382 £1,022

41.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 £1,089

$1,089 £806

35.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,227 £2,387

$2,775 £2,053

16.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,397 £1,773

$2,055 £1,520

16.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,023 £5,196

$4,208 £3,113

66.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,306 £3,925

$3,170 £2,345

67.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,973 £2,940

$3,459 £2,559

14.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

4.75

2.53%

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

Last update for Bristol: August 29, 2026

Last update for Glasgow: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,959 in Bristol and $1,382 in Glasgow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bristol pays 15% 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: $114 in Bristol vs $69.0 in Glasgow. Groceries flip the comparison at $313 vs $317, with Bristol cheaper for home cooking.

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

Bristol vs Glasgow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bristol and Glasgow differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($2,954 vs $2,475 including rent). Glasgow is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Bristol, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,959 in Bristol versus $1,382 in Glasgow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Bristol pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Glasgow – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $114 in Bristol. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,475 in Glasgow versus $2,954 in Bristol, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Glasgow but tight or insufficient in Bristol. 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, Bristol 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 19% less than in Bristol. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.