Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Caernarfon

For one person, living is cheaper in Caernarfon: $1,211 a month against $2,425 in Glasgow, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Glasgow, United Kingdom
Caernarfon, United Kingdom
Glasgow
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,425
/mo nomad
Caernarfon
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$1,211
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Glasgow and in Caernarfon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,425 in Glasgow versus $1,211 in Caernarfon.

  • Glasgow $2,425
  • Caernarfon $1,211

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,706 in Glasgow versus $2,727 in Caernarfon.

  • Glasgow $3,706
  • Caernarfon $2,727

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,987 in Glasgow versus $4,243 in Caernarfon.

  • Glasgow $4,987
  • Caernarfon $4,243

Living in Glasgow is roughly 100% more expensive than in Caernarfon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Glasgow is 78% above, Caernarfon is 11% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Glasgow
Caernarfon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.28 £16.02
$13.08 £9.85
62.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.2 £50.6
$94.0 £70.7
-28.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.58 £7.96
$9.57 £7.20
10.55%
Cappuccino
$4.81 £3.62
$3.98 £2.99
20.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 £1.70
$2.73 £2.05
-17.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 £1.38
$1.97 £1.48
-7.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.48 £4.12
$4.89 £3.68
12.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.63 £4.99
$4.06 £3.06
63.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Glasgow
Caernarfon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.67 £1.25
$1.86 £1.40
-10.22%
White Bread (500g)
$1.64 £1.23
$1.76 £1.32
-6.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.00 £1.51
$2.22 £1.67
-9.91%
Eggs
$4.00 £3.01
$2.43 £1.83
64.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.28 £6.99
$9.11 £6.85
1.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.08 £6.84
$7.14 £5.37
27.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.75 £12.61
$15.44 £11.62
8.48%
Apples (1kg)
$3.02 £2.27
$2.66 £2.00
13.53%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 £1.14
$1.31 £0.98
15.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.91 £2.19
$1.30 £0.98
123.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.19 £2.40
$1.37 £1.03
132.85%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 £1.45
$1.71 £1.29
12.87%
Onion (1kg)
$1.55 £1.17
$1.81 £1.36
-14.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 £0.85
$1.38 £1.04
-18.12%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 £1.19
$1.66 £1.25
-4.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.96 £18.03
$22.58 £16.99
6.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.32 £8.52
$9.08 £6.83
24.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.37 £2.53
$3.80 £2.86
-11.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 £2.51
$3.54 £2.67
-5.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Glasgow
Caernarfon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.98 £3.00
$5.44 £4.09
-26.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$108 £81.3
$67.0 £50.5
61.14%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.75 £4.33
$4.97 £3.74
15.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.14 £0.86
$2.37 £1.78
-51.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$60.6 £45.62
$23.60 £17.76
156.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 £1.57
$2.00 £1.51
4.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.3K £29.6K
$38.4K £28.9K
2.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.6K £30.6K
$40.9K £30.8K
-0.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Glasgow
Caernarfon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$312 £235
$320 £241
-2.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.29 £15.27
$21.68 £16.32
-6.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.05 £31.65
$40.41 £30.41
4.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Glasgow
Caernarfon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 £28.08
$29.92 £22.52
24.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.73 £15.60
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$16.26 £12.24
$16.22 £12.20
0.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Glasgow
Caernarfon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,124 £846
$1,608 £1,210
-30.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.6K £16.3K
$24.1K £18.1K
-10.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Glasgow
Caernarfon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$132 £99.3
$105 £78.9
25.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.81 £34.48
$49.01 £36.88
-6.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 £80.2
$108 £80.9
-0.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.4 £70.3
$78.6 £59.2
18.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Glasgow
Caernarfon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,368 £1,030
$673 £506
103.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,047 £788
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,770 £2,084
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,080 £1,565
$1,597 £1,202
30.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,035 £3,037
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,923 £2,200
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Glasgow
Caernarfon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,339 £2,513
$3,538 £2,663
-5.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.79
5.09
-5.89%

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

Last update for Glasgow: October 27, 2026

Last update for Caernarfon: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Glasgow
$1K
Caernarfon
- * 100%
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Glasgow
$375
Caernarfon
$382 2% $7.4
Eating Out
Glasgow
$317
Caernarfon
$232 26.6% $84
Groceries & Markets
Glasgow
$311
Caernarfon
$276 11.3% $35
Clothing & Footwear
Glasgow
$170
Caernarfon
$153 10% $17
Getting Around
Glasgow
$135
Caernarfon
$106 22% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Glasgow
$70
Caernarfon
$62 10.7% $7.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,368 in Glasgow and $673 in Caernarfon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Caernarfon pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67 in Glasgow vs $94 in Caernarfon. Groceries flip the comparison at $311 vs $276, with Caernarfon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Glasgow
🇬🇧 Caernarfon
🕒 Local time
23:45 11:45 PM
23:45 11:45 PM
Same time as Glasgow
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
606,340
9,500
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.753 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.838 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Glasgow Caernarfon 300 km
From you
  • Glasgow
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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 Caernarfon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Caernarfon cheaper than Glasgow?
Caernarfon is about 50% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Glasgow or Caernarfon?
On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Glasgow. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Glasgow and Caernarfon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,368 in Glasgow versus $673 in Caernarfon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Glasgow or in Caernarfon?
Dining out is cheaper in Glasgow – a meal for two runs $67 versus $94 in Caernarfon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Glasgow and in Caernarfon?
All in, you’ll spend $2,425 per month in Glasgow versus $1,211 in Caernarfon – Caernarfon is about 50% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Glasgow or in Caernarfon?
At $1,211 in Caernarfon versus $2,425 in Glasgow, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Caernarfon but tight or insufficient in Glasgow. The gap between the two cities makes Caernarfon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Glasgow or in Caernarfon?
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.

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