Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Bournemouth Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Bournemouth

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,467 per month in Glasgow vs $2,466 in Bournemouth, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,692 per month in Glasgow vs $3,791 in Bournemouth, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,918 per month in Glasgow vs $5,116 in Bournemouth, rent included.

Glasgow and Bournemouth have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Glasgow and Bournemouth sit above the global median – Glasgow by 85%, Bournemouth by 85%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.17 £15.02

$20.21 £15.05

-0.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.5 £73.4

$94.4 £70.3

4.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 £7.23

$9.64 £7.18

0.83%

Cappuccino

$5.00 £3.73

$4.15 £3.09

20.48%

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

$2.23 £1.66

$2.32 £1.73

-3.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.77 £1.32

-18.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.76 £5.04

$6.99 £5.20

-3.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 £5.01

$5.57 £4.15

20.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 £1.34

$1.63 £1.22

9.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.27 £0.95

29.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 £2.00

$2.56 £1.90

5.08%

Eggs

$3.91 £2.91

$3.30 £2.46

18.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 £7.35

$9.91 £7.37

-0.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 £6.98

$6.87 £5.11

36.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 £10.39

$13.37 £9.96

4.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 £2.54

$2.66 £1.98

28.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.51 £1.12

23.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 £2.42

$2.30 £1.71

41.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 £2.72

$2.18 £1.62

67.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.76 £1.31

-7.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 £1.43

$1.26 £0.94

52.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.93

$1.00 £0.74

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 £1.16

$1.44 £1.07

7.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.29 £15.85

$21.73 £16.18

-2.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 £8.13

$9.93 £7.39

9.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 £2.18

$2.68 £2.00

8.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 £2.44

$2.56 £1.91

28.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.03 £3.00

$2.70 £2.01

49.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.6 £69.7

$85.3 £63.5

9.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 £3.98

$3.98 £2.96

34.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 £1.67

$1.91 £1.42

17.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.51 £20.48

$25.36 £18.88

8.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 £1.48

$1.88 £1.40

5.32%

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

$38.6K £28.7K

$38.7K £28.8K

-0.38%

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

$38.9K £29.0K

$39.5K £29.4K

-1.43%

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

$381 £284

$344 £256

10.86%

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

$17.48 £13.01

$16.46 £12.26

6.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.13 £29.87

$45.17 £33.63

-11.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 £37.36

$39.65 £29.52

26.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 £14.53

$12.46 £9.28

56.58%

Cinema Ticket

$17.49 £13.02

$16.53 £12.31

5.81%

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

$1,165 £867

$2,334 £1,738

-50.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K £13.9K

$35.1K £26.1K

-46.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 £90.8

$86.9 £64.7

40.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 £37.35

$48.65 £36.22

3.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.2

$100.0 £74.4

7.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 £81.3

$89.8 £66.9

21.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 £1,043

$1,352 £1,007

3.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 £750

$1,173 £874

-14.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,805 £2,088

$2,916 £2,171

-3.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,825 £1,359

$2,238 £1,666

-18.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,122 £3,069

$6,705 £4,992

-38.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,066 £2,283

$4,458 £3,319

-31.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,403 £2,534

$3,210 £2,390

6.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

5.82

-8.59%

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

Last update for Glasgow: July 13, 2026

Last update for Bournemouth: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,400 in Glasgow versus $1,352 in Bournemouth. 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 6% higher in Glasgow. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Glasgow versus $94.0 in Bournemouth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $314 vs $267 – making Bournemouth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Bournemouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,700 per month in Glasgow and $3,700 in Bournemouth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Glasgow and $94.0 in Bournemouth. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Bournemouth. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bournemouth, where all-in costs run around $2,466, than in Glasgow at $2,467. In Bournemouth it covers expenses comfortably, while in Glasgow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bournemouth costs $2,466 versus $2,467 in Glasgow. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Bournemouth. 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.