Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Barnsley

For one person, living is cheaper in Barnsley: $1,892 a month against $2,425 in Glasgow, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Glasgow
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Glasgow Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Barnsley
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Barnsley Living Index

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Glasgow

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,425

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Barnsley

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$1,892

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Glasgow and in Barnsley

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Glasgow and in Barnsley actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,425 per month in Glasgow vs $1,892 in Barnsley, rent included.

Glasgow $2,425
Barnsley $1,892

A couple spends around $3,644 per month in Glasgow vs $2,842 in Barnsley, rent included.

Glasgow $3,644
Barnsley $2,842

A family of three spends $4,864 per month in Glasgow vs $3,792 in Barnsley, rent included.

Glasgow $4,864
Barnsley $3,792

Glasgow costs about 28% more than Barnsley, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Glasgow and Barnsley sit above the global median – Glasgow by 79%, Barnsley by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.03 £15.78

$24.36 £18.28

-13.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 £50.1

$83.8 £62.9

-20.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 £7.92

$10.52 £7.89

0.38%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.59

$4.81 £3.61

-0.62%

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

$2.27 £1.70

$2.39 £1.79

-5.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.62 £1.22

17.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.43 £4.08

$5.94 £4.46

-8.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 £5.07

$6.68 £5.01

1.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.24

$1.71 £1.28

-3.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 £1.27

$1.86 £1.39

-9.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 £1.49

$2.01 £1.51

-1.49%

Eggs

$3.93 £2.95

$4.00 £3.00

-1.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 £6.93

$8.71 £6.53

6.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.29 £6.97

$8.38 £6.28

10.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 £12.62

$14.58 £10.94

15.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 £2.24

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.12

$1.93 £1.44

-22.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 £2.17

$2.61 £1.96

10.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 £2.42

$2.95 £2.22

9.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.90 £1.42

3.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 £1.19

$1.62 £1.22

-1.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 £0.89

$1.51 £1.13

-21.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 £1.23

$1.46 £1.09

12.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.68 £17.76

$23.72 £17.80

-0.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 £8.35

$11.36 £8.52

-2.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.54

$3.45 £2.59

-1.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 £2.58

$3.29 £2.47

4.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.05

$2.61 £1.96

55.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 £77.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 £4.52

$5.24 £3.93

15.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 £0.87

$1.38 £1.04

-15.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.0 £46.48

$19.06 £14.30

225.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 £1.62

$1.99 £1.49

8.04%

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

$39.3K £29.5K

$38.3K £28.8K

2.45%

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

$39.7K £29.8K

$40.8K £30.6K

-2.77%

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

$315 £236

$283 £213

11.02%

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

$20.19 £15.15

$20.34 £15.26

-0.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.28 £32.47

$43.95 £32.97

-1.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.26 £34.71

$67.2 £50.4

-31.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.34 £15.26

Cinema Ticket

$16.23 £12.17

$12.68 £9.51

28.00%

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

$905 £679

$1,486 £1,115

-39.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K £16.2K

$16.4K £12.3K

32.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 £102

$60.0 £45.04

125.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 £34.75

$41.02 £30.77

12.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.9

$92.8 £69.6

16.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 £69.9

$79.6 £59.8

16.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 £1,013

$921 £691

46.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 £778

$660 £495

56.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,680 £2,011

$1,347 £1,010

99.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 £1,456

$1,101 £826

76.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,064 £3,049

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,073 £2,306

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,420 £2,566

$2,966 £2,225

15.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

5.61

-14.62%

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

Last update for Glasgow: October 19, 2026

Last update for Barnsley: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Glasgow

$1K 42.8%

Barnsley

$660 34.9% 36.3% $376

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Glasgow

$378 15.6%

Barnsley

$348 18.4% 8% $30

Eating Out

Glasgow

$315 13%

Barnsley

$343 18.2% 9.1% $29

Groceries & Markets

Glasgow

$313 12.9%

Barnsley

$302 16% 3.4% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Glasgow

$172 7.1%

Barnsley

$123 6.5% 28.5% $49

Getting Around

Glasgow

$131 5.4%

Barnsley

$23 * 1.2% 82.8% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Glasgow

$79 3.3%

Barnsley

$93 4.9% 17.6% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,350 in Glasgow versus $921 in Barnsley. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 15% higher in Glasgow, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Glasgow versus $84.0 in Barnsley. Groceries tell a different story – $313 in Glasgow vs $302 in Barnsley – so Barnsley wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Glasgow

🇬🇧 Barnsley

🕒 Local time

15:53 3:53 PM

Same time as Glasgow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

606,340

245,199

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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

Glasgow vs Barnsley: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Glasgow is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,637 per month in Glasgow and $2,838 in Barnsley. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Barnsley, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,425 in Glasgow and $1,892 in Barnsley. That's a gap of about 28%.

Kindergarten costs $905 per month in Glasgow and $1,486 in Barnsley. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Barnsley, where all-in costs run around $1,892, than in Glasgow at $2,425. In Barnsley it covers expenses comfortably, while in Glasgow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Barnsley – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Barnsley. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Glasgow makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.