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: $2,876 in Bristol versus $2,467 in Glasgow.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,205 in Bristol versus $3,692 in Glasgow.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,533 in Bristol versus $4,918 in Glasgow.

Living in Bristol is roughly 17% more expensive than in Glasgow, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bristol 115% above, Glasgow 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.61 £15.35

$20.17 £15.02

2.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 £76.0

$98.5 £73.4

3.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.01

$9.72 £7.23

10.60%

Cappuccino

$5.11 £3.80

$5.00 £3.73

2.20%

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

$2.80 £2.08

$2.23 £1.66

25.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 £1.33

$1.45 £1.08

23.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 £5.83

$6.76 £5.04

15.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.61 £4.92

$6.73 £5.01

-1.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 £1.22

$1.79 £1.34

-8.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 £1.72

$1.64 £1.22

40.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 £1.43

$2.69 £2.00

-29.00%

Eggs

$4.20 £3.13

$3.91 £2.91

7.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.40 £9.23

$9.87 £7.35

25.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.60 £8.64

$9.38 £6.98

23.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.31 £9.17

$13.96 £10.39

-11.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 £2.63

$3.41 £2.54

3.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.87 £1.39

-11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 £2.04

$3.25 £2.42

-15.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 £3.03

$3.65 £2.72

11.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 £1.49

$1.62 £1.21

23.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.92 £1.43

-7.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 £0.92

$1.25 £0.93

-0.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.37

$1.55 £1.16

18.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.20 £15.78

$21.29 £15.85

-0.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.72 £7.98

$10.92 £8.13

-1.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 £2.18

$2.92 £2.18

0.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 £2.04

$3.28 £2.44

-16.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.20 £2.39

$4.03 £3.00

-20.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$115 £85.8

$93.6 £69.7

23.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 £4.02

$5.35 £3.98

0.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 £1.20

$2.24 £1.67

-28.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.72 £19.90

$27.51 £20.48

-2.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.98 £1.48

-0.51%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$38.6K £28.7K

-0.89%

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

$35.7K £26.6K

$38.9K £29.0K

-8.18%

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

$302 £225

$381 £284

-20.76%

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

$16.41 £12.22

$17.48 £13.01

-6.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.65 £33.24

$40.13 £29.87

11.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.26 £36.68

$50.2 £37.36

-1.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.45 £7.78

$19.51 £14.53

-46.44%

Cinema Ticket

$13.68 £10.19

$17.49 £13.02

-21.78%

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

$2,182 £1,625

$1,165 £867

87.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.9K £18.5K

$18.7K £13.9K

33.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.3 £71.7

$122 £90.8

-21.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.54 £36.88

$50.2 £37.35

-1.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 £85.1

$108 £80.2

6.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 £101

$109 £81.3

24.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,886 £1,404

$1,400 £1,043

34.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 £1,054

$1,007 £750

40.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,039 £2,263

$2,805 £2,088

8.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,277 £1,695

$1,825 £1,359

24.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,835 £5,089

$4,122 £3,069

65.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,308 £3,952

$3,066 £2,283

73.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,857 £2,872

$3,403 £2,534

13.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

5.32

5.26%

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

Last update for Bristol: July 11, 2026

Last update for Glasgow: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,886 in Bristol and $1,400 in Glasgow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bristol pays 13% 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: $102 in Bristol vs $99.0 in Glasgow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 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

Bristol vs Glasgow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bristol and Glasgow differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($2,876 vs $2,467 including rent). Glasgow is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 13% 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: $1,886 in Bristol versus $1,400 in Glasgow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Glasgow – a meal for two runs $99.0 versus $102 in Bristol. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,467 in Glasgow versus $2,876 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 17% less than in Bristol. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.