Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Brighton Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Brighton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,467 in Glasgow versus $2,983 in Brighton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,692 in Glasgow versus $4,308 in Brighton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,918 in Glasgow versus $5,633 in Brighton.

Living in Glasgow costs roughly 17% less than in Brighton, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Glasgow 85% above, Brighton 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.17 £15.00

$20.25 £15.06

-0.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.5 £73.3

$93.8 £69.8

5.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 £7.23

$9.53 £7.09

1.99%

Cappuccino

$5.00 £3.72

$4.57 £3.40

9.41%

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

$2.23 £1.66

$2.12 £1.58

5.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.63 £1.21

-11.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.76 £5.03

$8.34 £6.20

-18.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 £5.01

$6.95 £5.17

-3.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 £1.33

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.22

$2.15 £1.60

-23.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 £2.00

$2.04 £1.52

31.86%

Eggs

$3.91 £2.91

$5.00 £3.72

-21.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 £7.34

$12.10 £9.00

-18.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 £6.98

$8.87 £6.60

5.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 £10.38

$18.05 £13.43

-22.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 £2.54

$3.23 £2.40

5.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 £1.39

$2.01 £1.50

-6.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 £2.42

$3.19 £2.37

1.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 £2.72

$3.38 £2.51

7.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 £1.21

$2.26 £1.68

-28.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 £1.43

$2.03 £1.51

-5.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.93

$1.18 £0.88

5.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 £1.16

$1.50 £1.11

3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.29 £15.84

$20.95 £15.58

1.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 £8.12

$11.26 £8.38

-3.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 £2.17

$2.68 £2.00

8.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 £2.44

$2.66 £1.98

23.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.03 £2.99

$3.30 £2.46

22.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.6 £69.6

$130 £96.5

-27.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 £3.98

$4.62 £3.44

15.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 £1.67

$2.15 £1.60

4.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.51 £20.46

$39.99 £29.75

-31.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 £1.48

$2.00 £1.49

-1.00%

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

$38.6K £28.7K

$38.1K £28.4K

1.22%

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

$38.9K £28.9K

$41.2K £30.6K

-5.44%

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

$381 £283

$286 £213

33.10%

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

$17.48 £13.00

$18.84 £14.01

-7.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.13 £29.85

$40.37 £30.02

-0.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 £37.32

$53.2 £39.60

-5.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 £14.51

$18.70 £13.91

4.33%

Cinema Ticket

$17.49 £13.01

$17.38 £12.93

0.63%

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

$1,165 £866

$1,776 £1,321

-34.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K £13.9K

$19.3K £14.4K

-3.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 £90.7

$91.9 £68.3

32.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 £37.32

$42.18 £31.38

18.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.1

$109 £80.9

-0.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 £81.2

$78.9 £58.7

38.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 £1,042

$1,818 £1,352

-22.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 £749

$1,586 £1,179

-36.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,805 £2,086

$3,287 £2,445

-14.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,825 £1,357

$2,614 £1,944

-30.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,122 £3,066

$8,564 £6,370

-51.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,066 £2,280

$6,300 £4,686

-51.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,403 £2,531

$3,446 £2,563

-1.24%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Brighton: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,400 in Glasgow and $1,818 in Brighton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brighton pays 1% 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 $94.0 in Brighton. Groceries flip the comparison at $314 vs $335, 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 Brighton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Glasgow and Brighton differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($2,467 vs $2,983 including rent). Glasgow is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Brighton. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,400 in Glasgow versus $1,818 in Brighton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,165 in Glasgow versus $1,776 in Brighton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Brighton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,467 in Glasgow versus $2,983 in Brighton, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Glasgow but tight or insufficient in Brighton. 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, Glasgow and Brighton 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 21% less than in Brighton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.