Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Bedford

For one person, living is cheaper in Bedford: $2,117 a month against $2,463 in Glasgow, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Glasgow
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Glasgow Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Bedford
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Bedford Living Index

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Glasgow

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,463

/mo nomad

Bedford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Glasgow and in Bedford

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 Bedford actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,463 per month in Glasgow vs $2,117 in Bedford, rent included.

Glasgow $2,463
Bedford $2,117

A couple spends around $3,755 per month in Glasgow vs $3,333 in Bedford, rent included.

Glasgow $3,755
Bedford $3,333

A family of three spends $5,047 per month in Glasgow vs $4,549 in Bedford, rent included.

Glasgow $5,047
Bedford $4,549

Glasgow costs about 16% more than Bedford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Glasgow and Bedford sit above the global median – Glasgow by 82%, Bedford by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.74 £16.18

$19.85 £14.78

9.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 £49.00

$88.8 £66.1

-25.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 £8.06

$10.89 £8.11

-0.55%

Cappuccino

$4.96 £3.69

$4.54 £3.38

9.25%

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

$2.37 £1.76

$2.00 £1.49

18.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 £1.38

$1.18 £0.88

56.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.46 £4.06

$6.72 £5.00

-18.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 £5.12

$5.98 £4.45

15.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.73 £1.28

-4.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 £1.27

$1.49 £1.11

14.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 £1.48

$1.64 £1.22

21.34%

Eggs

$3.99 £2.97

$3.81 £2.84

4.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.00 £6.70

$9.42 £7.01

-4.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 £6.75

$8.63 £6.42

5.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 £12.91

$12.96 £9.65

33.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 £2.26

$3.35 £2.50

-9.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.17

$1.34 £1.00

17.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 £2.24

$2.54 £1.89

18.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.21 £2.39

$3.12 £2.32

2.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 £1.48

$1.34 £1.00

48.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.17

$1.36 £1.01

16.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 £0.88

$1.04 £0.78

13.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.35 £1.00

20.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.88 £17.77

$23.59 £17.56

1.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 £8.35

$10.80 £8.04

3.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.24 £2.41

$2.66 £1.98

21.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 £2.61

$2.46 £1.83

42.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.99 £2.97

$2.61 £1.94

52.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 £80.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 £4.44

$5.05 £3.76

18.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 £1.35

$1.64 £1.22

10.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.8 £46.73

$20.36 £15.15

208.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 £1.57

$1.97 £1.46

7.11%

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

$39.3K £29.2K

$39.2K £29.2K

0.25%

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

$40.3K £30.0K

$40.4K £30.1K

-0.17%

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

$331 £246

$316 £235

4.77%

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

$19.71 £14.67

$17.74 £13.20

11.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.28 £32.21

$39.87 £29.68

8.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.36 £27.07

$38.18 £28.42

-4.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.58 £15.32

Cinema Ticket

$15.81 £11.77

$16.11 £11.99

-1.86%

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

$1,107 £824

$1,366 £1,017

-18.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K £16.9K

$23.7K £17.6K

-4.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 £101

$23.98 £17.85

463.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.59 £34.68

$25.73 £19.15

81.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 £78.3

$79.6 £59.3

32.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.0 £67.8

$88.8 £66.1

2.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,383 £1,030

$1,126 £838

22.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,054 £785

$965 £718

9.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,788 £2,075

$2,461 £1,832

13.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 £1,565

$2,037 £1,516

3.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,120 £3,067

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,954 £2,199

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,437 £2,558

$3,303 £2,459

4.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

4.67

2.14%

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

Last update for Glasgow: November 1, 2026

Last update for Bedford: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Glasgow

$1.1K 42.8%

Bedford

$965 45.6% 8.5% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Glasgow

$394 16%

Bedford

$374 17.7% 5.2% $20

Eating Out

Glasgow

$324 13.2%

Bedford

$304 14.4% 6.1% $20

Groceries & Markets

Glasgow

$314 12.7%

Bedford

$282 13.3% 10.2% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Glasgow

$170 6.9%

Bedford

$98 4.6% 42.3% $72

Getting Around

Glasgow

$139 5.6%

Bedford

$24 * 1.1% 82.9% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Glasgow

$68 2.8%

Bedford

$70 3.3% 3.6% $2.4

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,383 in Glasgow versus $1,126 in Bedford. 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 4% 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 $66 in Glasgow versus $89 in Bedford. Groceries tell a different story – $314 in Glasgow vs $282 in Bedford – so Bedford wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Glasgow

🇬🇧 Bedford

🕒 Local time

12:16 12:16 PM

Same time as Glasgow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

606,340

80,000

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Glasgow Bedford 480 km

From you

Glasgow
Bedford

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Bedford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Glasgow costs about 16% more than Bedford, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,694 per month in Glasgow and $3,175 in Bedford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bedford, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,126 there versus $1,383 in Glasgow.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,463 in Glasgow and $2,117 in Bedford. That makes Bedford about 14% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,107 per month in Glasgow and $1,366 in Bedford. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,463 in Glasgow and $2,117 in Bedford. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Glasgow has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,117 in Bedford to $2,463 in Glasgow. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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