Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Bridgend Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Bridgend

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Glasgow versus $2,414 in Bridgend.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,703 in Glasgow versus $3,524 in Bridgend.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,952 in Glasgow versus $4,634 in Bridgend.

Living in Glasgow is roughly 2% more expensive than Bridgend, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Glasgow 83% above, Bridgend 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.10 £14.89

$21.58 £15.99

-6.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.2 £73.5

$80.1 £59.4

23.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 £6.96

$10.19 £7.55

-7.85%

Cappuccino

$4.91 £3.64

$3.73 £2.76

31.64%

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

$2.15 £1.60

$2.27 £1.68

-5.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 £1.10

$1.60 £1.18

-6.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.92 £5.13

$4.87 £3.61

42.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 £4.95

$6.06 £4.49

10.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.63 £1.21

4.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 £1.27

$1.94 £1.44

-11.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.65 £1.96

$2.83 £2.09

-6.36%

Eggs

$3.78 £2.80

$6.27 £4.65

-39.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 £7.31

$9.99 £7.40

-1.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 £6.99

$11.79 £8.74

-20.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 £10.61

$13.78 £10.21

3.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 £2.54

$3.19 £2.37

7.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 £1.38

$1.59 £1.18

17.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 £2.42

$2.90 £2.15

12.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 £2.67

$3.54 £2.62

1.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.67 £1.24

1.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 £1.35

$1.48 £1.10

22.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.93

$1.10 £0.82

14.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 £1.20

$1.51 £1.12

6.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.29 £15.77

$19.09 £14.14

11.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 £8.38

$8.34 £6.18

35.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 £2.25

$2.79 £2.07

8.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 £2.50

$3.20 £2.37

5.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.03 £2.98

$2.61 £1.94

54.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.4 £70.7

$89.7 £66.5

6.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 £4.01

$5.59 £4.14

-3.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.32 £1.72

$1.57 £1.17

47.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.74 £19.82

$23.43 £17.36

14.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 £1.48

$2.03 £1.51

-1.48%

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

$39.0K £28.9K

$38.6K £28.6K

1.14%

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

$39.5K £29.3K

$51.6K £38.2K

-23.46%

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

$385 £286

$373 £276

3.30%

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

$17.79 £13.18

$25.73 £19.06

-30.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.53 £30.03

$42.00 £31.12

-3.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 £37.56

$49.98 £37.04

1.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 £14.38

$11.07 £8.20

75.34%

Cinema Ticket

$17.86 £13.23

$13.64 £10.10

30.94%

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

$1,164 £863

$1,568 £1,162

-25.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K £13.8K

$18.5K £13.7K

0.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$123 £91.0

$85.2 £63.2

44.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.46 £36.65

$43.14 £31.97

14.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.3

$91.1 £67.5

18.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 £79.9

$83.5 £61.9

29.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 £1,026

$1,234 £915

12.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 £745

$1,021 £757

-1.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 £2,010

$1,165 £863

132.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 £1,359

$1,707 £1,265

7.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,266 £3,161

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,067 £2,273

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,602 £2,669

$2,262 £1,676

59.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

5.63

-5.51%

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

Last update for Glasgow: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bridgend: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,384 in Glasgow and $1,234 in Bridgend. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Glasgow pays 59% 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: $99.0 in Glasgow vs $80.0 in Bridgend. Groceries flip the comparison at $317 vs $325, with Glasgow 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

Glasgow vs Bridgend: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Glasgow and Bridgend differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($2,453 vs $2,414 including rent). Bridgend is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Glasgow pays 59% more on average, 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: $1,384 in Glasgow versus $1,234 in Bridgend. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,164 in Glasgow versus $1,568 in Bridgend. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Glasgow pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,414 in Bridgend versus $2,453 in Glasgow, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bridgend but tight or insufficient in Glasgow. The gap between the two cities makes Bridgend 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.

Expats usually find Bridgend gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Glasgow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.