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: $2,467 in Glasgow versus $1,949 in Dundee.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,691 in Glasgow versus $3,023 in Dundee.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,916 in Glasgow versus $4,097 in Dundee.

Living in Glasgow is roughly 27% more expensive than in Dundee, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Glasgow 85% above, Dundee 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.44 £15.28

$20.74 £15.51

-1.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.2 £72.7

$95.7 £71.5

1.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 £7.05

$10.06 £7.52

-6.26%

Cappuccino

$4.93 £3.69

$4.32 £3.23

14.12%

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

$2.19 £1.64

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 £1.09

$1.32 £0.99

10.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.65 £4.97

$5.75 £4.30

15.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 £5.10

$5.76 £4.31

18.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 £1.32

$2.04 £1.53

-13.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 £1.24

$1.50 £1.12

10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 £2.08

$2.55 £1.91

9.02%

Eggs

$3.78 £2.83

$4.89 £3.65

-22.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.80 £7.33

$8.44 £6.31

16.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 £6.98

$9.84 £7.35

-5.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.13 £10.56

$15.78 £11.80

-10.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 £2.55

$3.26 £2.44

4.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 £1.39

$2.36 £1.76

-21.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 £2.46

$2.72 £2.04

20.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 £2.77

$4.64 £3.47

-20.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 £1.27

$2.09 £1.56

-18.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 £1.41

$1.86 £1.39

1.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 £0.91

$1.24 £0.92

-2.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 £1.18

$2.06 £1.54

-23.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.74 £15.51

$18.85 £14.09

10.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.14 £8.33

$12.07 £9.03

-7.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 £2.22

$3.27 £2.44

-9.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.53

$2.91 £2.17

16.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.01 £3.00

$3.58 £2.68

12.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.4 £69.8

$59.2 £44.24

57.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 £3.94

$4.78 £3.57

10.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.35 £1.75

$1.40 £1.04

67.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 £20.48

$23.47 £17.54

16.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.49

$1.95 £1.46

2.05%

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

$39.2K £29.3K

$38.4K £28.7K

2.04%

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

$38.8K £29.0K

$47.8K £35.7K

-18.90%

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

$389 £291

$235 £176

65.31%

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

$17.80 £13.31

$14.62 £10.93

21.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.38 £30.93

$47.89 £35.80

-13.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.80 £37.23

$48.56 £36.30

2.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.12 £14.29

$9.47 £7.08

101.90%

Cinema Ticket

$17.47 £13.06

$13.13 £9.82

33.05%

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

$1,157 £865

$1,636 £1,223

-29.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K £13.6K

$16.5K £12.3K

10.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$124 £92.5

$98.8 £73.8

25.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 £37.33

$64.9 £48.53

-23.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £79.2

$137 £102

-22.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 £81.9

$123 £91.6

-10.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 £1,031

$920 £688

49.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,010 £755

$683 £511

47.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,797 £2,091

$1,540 £1,151

81.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 £1,366

$1,101 £823

65.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,070 £3,043

$4,227 £3,160

-3.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,017 £2,255

$3,306 £2,472

-8.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,425 £2,560

$3,195 £2,389

7.18%

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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Dundee: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,379 in Glasgow and $920 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: $97.0 in Glasgow vs $96.0 in Dundee. Groceries flip the comparison at $315 vs $338, 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 27% in total monthly costs ($2,467 vs $1,949 including rent). Dundee is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

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: $1,379 in Glasgow versus $920 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 58% less than in Glasgow. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,157 in Glasgow versus $1,636 in Dundee. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,949 in Dundee versus $2,467 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 27% less than in Glasgow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.