Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Buckingham Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Buckingham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,475 in Glasgow versus $2,281 in Buckingham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,746 in Glasgow versus $3,357 in Buckingham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,018 in Glasgow versus $4,433 in Buckingham.

Living in Glasgow is roughly 8% more expensive than in Buckingham, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Glasgow 80% above, Buckingham 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.02 £17.02

$20.83 £15.40

10.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.8 £50.9

$82.7 £61.1

-16.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.68 £7.89

$11.00 £8.13

-2.91%

Cappuccino

$4.98 £3.68

$4.77 £3.53

4.40%

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

$2.28 £1.68

$2.12 £1.57

7.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 £1.35

$1.58 £1.17

15.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.78 £4.27

$5.80 £4.29

-0.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.58 £4.86

$4.78 £3.53

37.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 £1.21

$1.51 £1.11

8.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 £1.03

$1.87 £1.39

-25.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 £1.49

$2.78 £2.05

-27.70%

Eggs

$3.85 £2.84

$4.16 £3.07

-7.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.93 £7.34

$9.71 £7.18

2.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 £7.01

$7.58 £5.60

25.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.95 £14.01

$16.80 £12.42

12.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 £2.07

$3.34 £2.47

-15.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 £1.24

$1.66 £1.23

1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 £2.11

$2.92 £2.16

-2.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 £2.28

$3.29 £2.43

-6.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 £1.32

$1.21 £0.89

47.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.13

$1.80 £1.33

-15.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.86

$1.13 £0.84

2.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 £1.25

$1.39 £1.03

21.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.33 £17.98

$24.06 £17.78

1.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 £8.23

$10.11 £7.48

10.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 £2.46

$3.28 £2.43

1.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 £2.36

$2.14 £1.58

49.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.12 £3.04

$3.50 £2.59

17.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 £76.3

$96.7 £71.5

6.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.85 £4.32

$4.22 £3.12

38.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 £0.89

$2.74 £2.03

-56.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.4 £46.83

$24.90 £18.41

154.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 £1.50

$1.94 £1.44

4.64%

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

$39.7K £29.4K

$38.5K £28.5K

3.19%

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

$41.9K £31.0K

$41.1K £30.4K

1.85%

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

$342 £253

$212 £156

61.79%

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

$20.02 £14.80

$17.57 £12.99

13.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.24 £31.22

$44.58 £32.95

-5.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.13 £33.36

$47.74 £35.29

-5.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.67 £15.28

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 £11.85

$13.44 £9.94

19.27%

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

$931 £688

$1,571 £1,161

-40.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K £16.1K

$15.8K £11.7K

37.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 £102

$89.3 £66.0

54.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.04 £34.03

$38.09 £28.16

20.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £78.1

$76.2 £56.3

38.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.6 £68.4

$96.8 £71.6

-4.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 £1,021

$1,508 £1,115

-8.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 £805

$1,044 £772

4.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,775 £2,051

$2,101 £1,553

32.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,055 £1,519

$1,693 £1,252

21.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,208 £3,110

$5,364 £3,965

-21.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,170 £2,343

$4,174 £3,085

-24.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,459 £2,557

$4,710 £3,481

-26.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.75

5.06

-6.13%

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

Last update for Glasgow: August 30, 2026

Last update for Buckingham: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,382 in Glasgow and $1,508 in Buckingham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buckingham pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Glasgow vs $83.0 in Buckingham. Groceries flip the comparison at $317 vs $303, with Buckingham 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 Buckingham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Glasgow and Buckingham differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,475 vs $2,281 including rent). Buckingham is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Buckingham. 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: $1,382 in Glasgow versus $1,508 in Buckingham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,475 per month in Glasgow versus $2,281 in Buckingham – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Buckingham runs roughly 7% less than in Glasgow. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,281 in Buckingham versus $2,475 in Glasgow, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buckingham but tight or insufficient in Glasgow. The gap between the two cities makes Buckingham 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 Buckingham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Glasgow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.