Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Dundee Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Dundee

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,506 in Glasgow versus $1,958 in Dundee.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,752 in Glasgow versus $2,989 in Dundee.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,998 in Glasgow versus $4,019 in Dundee.

Living in Glasgow is roughly 28% more expensive than Dundee, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Glasgow 87% above, Dundee 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.10 £14.85

$20.27 £14.98

-0.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 £73.5

$96.2 £71.1

3.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.35 £6.91

$10.16 £7.51

-7.97%

Cappuccino

$5.03 £3.71

$4.42 £3.26

13.80%

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

$2.21 £1.63

$2.24 £1.66

-1.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 £1.09

$1.31 £0.97

12.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.84 £5.05

$5.97 £4.42

14.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 £5.05

$5.64 £4.17

21.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 £1.33

$2.14 £1.58

-15.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.55 £1.15

7.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 £1.98

$2.47 £1.83

8.50%

Eggs

$3.80 £2.81

$4.87 £3.60

-21.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.05 £7.43

$8.41 £6.22

19.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 £6.99

$9.57 £7.08

-1.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 £10.60

$15.73 £11.62

-8.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 £2.54

$3.11 £2.29

10.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 £1.33

$2.33 £1.72

-22.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 £2.38

$2.64 £1.95

22.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 £2.65

$4.60 £3.40

-22.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 £1.21

$2.10 £1.55

-21.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 £1.36

$1.86 £1.38

-1.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 £0.90

$1.22 £0.90

-0.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 £1.16

$2.13 £1.58

-26.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.34 £15.77

$19.09 £14.10

11.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.33 £8.38

$12.12 £8.96

-6.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 £2.16

$3.10 £2.29

-5.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 £2.51

$2.99 £2.21

13.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 £3.09

$3.60 £2.66

16.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.6 £69.1

$58.3 £43.10

60.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.55 £4.10

$4.66 £3.45

19.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 £1.75

$1.38 £1.02

71.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.25 £20.13

$23.55 £17.40

15.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.47

$1.89 £1.40

5.29%

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

$38.7K £28.6K

$38.9K £28.8K

-0.56%

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

$38.5K £28.4K

$46.4K £34.3K

-17.05%

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

$377 £279

$231 £171

63.14%

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

$17.43 £12.88

$14.62 £10.80

19.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.02 £30.32

$46.52 £34.38

-11.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 £37.71

$48.87 £36.12

4.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.20 £14.19

$9.60 £7.09

100.00%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 £13.11

$12.76 £9.43

39.03%

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

$1,159 £856

$1,627 £1,202

-28.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K £13.6K

$16.6K £12.3K

10.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$124 £91.7

$97.3 £71.9

27.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 £37.44

$65.2 £48.18

-22.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 £80.4

$137 £101

-20.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 £80.3

$120 £88.7

-9.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,425 £1,053

$917 £678

55.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$989 £731

$675 £499

46.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,785 £2,058

$1,544 £1,141

80.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,875 £1,385

$1,100 £813

70.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,143 £3,062

$4,117 £3,042

0.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,096 £2,288

$3,343 £2,471

-7.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,534 £2,612

$3,294 £2,435

7.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

5.9

-9.83%

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

Last update for Glasgow: April 21, 2026

Last update for Dundee: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,425 in Glasgow and $917 in Dundee. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Glasgow pays 7% 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 in Glasgow vs $96 in Dundee. Groceries flip the comparison at $316 vs $336, 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 Dundee: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Glasgow and Dundee differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($2,506 vs $1,958 including rent). Dundee is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Glasgow pays 7% more on average, 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: $1,425 in Glasgow versus $917 in Dundee. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dundee runs roughly 60% less than in Glasgow. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,159 in Glasgow versus $1,627 in Dundee. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,958 in Dundee versus $2,506 in Glasgow, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dundee but tight or insufficient in Glasgow. The gap between the two cities makes Dundee 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 Dundee 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 Dundee gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Glasgow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.