Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Dumfries Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Dumfries

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,505 in Glasgow versus $1,785 in Dumfries.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,735 in Glasgow versus $2,755 in Dumfries.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,966 in Glasgow versus $3,725 in Dumfries.

Living in Glasgow is roughly 40% more expensive than Dumfries, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Glasgow 87% above, Dumfries 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.19 £15.04

$16.45 £12.25

22.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.0 £73.0

$88.7 £66.1

10.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.35 £6.97

$7.95 £5.92

17.61%

Cappuccino

$4.76 £3.54

$3.87 £2.88

23.00%

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

$2.18 £1.63

$2.31 £1.72

-5.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 £1.07

$1.34 £1.00

6.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 £4.98

$3.98 £2.96

67.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.72 £5.00

$5.01 £3.73

34.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.47 £1.10

20.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.49 £1.11

10.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 £1.97

$2.55 £1.90

3.53%

Eggs

$3.85 £2.87

$3.57 £2.66

7.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 £7.58

$8.07 £6.01

26.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 £6.86

$10.03 £7.47

-8.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.83 £10.31

$15.73 £11.72

-12.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 £2.43

$2.54 £1.89

28.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 £1.33

$2.35 £1.75

-23.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 £2.51

$2.36 £1.76

42.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.69 £2.75

$3.34 £2.49

10.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 £1.23

$2.13 £1.59

-22.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.92 £1.43

-0.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 £0.91

$1.23 £0.91

-0.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.77 £1.32

-10.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.49 £16.01

$18.72 £13.94

14.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.31 £8.43

$10.79 £8.04

4.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 £2.24

$3.28 £2.44

-8.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 £2.51

$3.03 £2.26

11.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.04 £3.01

$4.23 £3.15

-4.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.0 £70.8

$98.6 £73.5

-3.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 £3.93

$5.56 £4.14

-5.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 £1.69

$1.60 £1.19

41.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.65 £20.60

$14.04 £10.46

96.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.87 £1.39

3.74%

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

$38.8K £28.9K

$38.3K £28.6K

1.25%

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

$38.0K £28.3K

$41.3K £30.8K

-7.98%

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

$378 £281

$234 £174

61.63%

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

$17.76 £13.23

$14.59 £10.87

21.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.41 £30.85

$47.77 £35.59

-13.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 £38.24

$50.9 £37.89

0.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.32 £14.39

$27.02 £20.13

-28.50%

Cinema Ticket

$17.62 £13.13

$12.97 £9.66

35.85%

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

$1,150 £857

$1,614 £1,202

-28.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K £13.4K

$16.1K £12.0K

11.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 £93.4

$94.7 £70.6

32.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 £37.72

$57.2 £42.58

-11.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £78.9

$131 £97.7

-19.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 £79.5

$119 £88.8

-10.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 £1,038

$633 £472

120.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 £753

$554 £413

82.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,716 £2,023

$1,020 £760

166.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 £1,404

$965 £719

95.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,173 £3,109

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,091 £2,303

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,453 £2,572

$3,570 £2,660

-3.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

5.45

-2.39%

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

Last update for Glasgow: June 2, 2026

Last update for Dumfries: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,393 in Glasgow and $633 in Dumfries. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dumfries pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $98.0 in Glasgow vs $89.0 in Dumfries for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $314 vs $309 per month, with Dumfries cheaper across the board.

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 Dumfries: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dumfries is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Dumfries earns 3% less. 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: $1,393 in Glasgow versus $633 in Dumfries. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Dumfries – a meal for two runs $89.0 versus $98.0 in Glasgow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,505 per month in Glasgow versus $1,785 in Dumfries – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,785 in Dumfries versus $2,505 in Glasgow, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Dumfries but tight or insufficient in Glasgow. The gap between the two cities makes Dumfries the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dumfries is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Glasgow, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Dumfries gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Glasgow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.