Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Chelmsford Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Chelmsford

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Glasgow versus $2,451 in Chelmsford.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,732 in Glasgow versus $3,869 in Chelmsford.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,012 in Glasgow versus $5,286 in Chelmsford.

Monthly costs are close between Glasgow and Chelmsford; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Glasgow 84% above, Chelmsford 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.64 £15.30

$20.63 £15.29

0.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.9 £74.1

$80.6 £59.7

23.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.31 £6.90

$9.55 £7.08

-2.51%

Cappuccino

$5.00 £3.71

$4.72 £3.50

5.93%

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

$2.17 £1.61

$3.02 £2.24

-28.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 £1.10

$1.85 £1.37

-19.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 £4.90

$7.52 £5.57

-12.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 £5.12

$6.26 £4.64

10.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 £1.27

$1.80 £1.33

-4.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.84 £1.36

-10.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.65 £1.97

$1.99 £1.48

33.17%

Eggs

$3.93 £2.91

$3.57 £2.64

10.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 £7.44

$10.13 £7.51

-0.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 £6.94

$9.36 £6.94

0.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.27 £10.58

$16.30 £12.08

-12.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 £2.51

$2.41 £1.79

40.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 £1.36

$1.23 £0.91

49.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 £2.53

$3.50 £2.59

-2.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 £2.72

$4.76 £3.53

-22.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.69 £1.25

-3.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 £1.36

$1.32 £0.98

39.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

$1.15 £0.86

9.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.73 £1.28

-9.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.84 £15.45

$18.65 £13.83

11.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.89 £8.07

$12.18 £9.03

-10.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 £2.19

$2.82 £2.09

4.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 £2.47

$3.56 £2.64

-6.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.14 £3.07

$4.10 £3.04

0.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.4 £70.7

$70.8 £52.5

34.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 £3.96

$4.74 £3.52

12.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 £1.73

$1.71 £1.27

36.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.59 £20.45

$26.49 £19.63

4.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 £1.49

$1.86 £1.38

8.06%

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

$38.1K £28.2K

$36.0K £26.7K

5.79%

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

$39.0K £28.9K

$39.4K £29.2K

-1.00%

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

$377 £279

$209 £155

80.14%

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

$17.87 £13.24

$14.99 £11.11

19.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.85 £30.28

$35.19 £26.08

16.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 £38.14

$52.9 £39.24

-2.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.58 £14.52

Cinema Ticket

$17.32 £12.84

$13.34 £9.88

29.84%

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

$1,142 £846

$1,411 £1,046

-19.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K £13.7K

$12.5K £9,250

48.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 £92.7

$105 £77.7

19.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 £37.45

$43.40 £32.17

16.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 £80.5

$115 £85.2

-5.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 £79.6

$123 £91.4

-12.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 £1,042

$1,464 £1,085

-3.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,017 £754

$1,230 £912

-17.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,715 £2,012

$2,707 £2,007

0.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,872 £1,387

$2,606 £1,932

-28.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,126 £3,058

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,037 £2,251

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,468 £2,570

$3,238 £2,400

7.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

5.73

-7.16%

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

Last update for Glasgow: July 26, 2026

Last update for Chelmsford: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,406 in Glasgow and $1,464 in Chelmsford. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Glasgow pays 7% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $100 in Glasgow vs $81.0 in Chelmsford. Groceries flip the comparison at $315 vs $321, 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 Chelmsford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 7% higher in Glasgow, 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: $1,406 in Glasgow versus $1,464 in Chelmsford. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,142 in Glasgow versus $1,411 in Chelmsford. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chelmsford – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $100 in Glasgow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,451 in Chelmsford versus $2,453 in Glasgow, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Chelmsford but tight or insufficient in Glasgow. The gap between the two cities makes Chelmsford 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 Chelmsford are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Chelmsford wins on affordability, Glasgow on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.