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: $2,475 in Glasgow versus $2,137 in Dundee.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,746 in Glasgow versus $3,165 in Dundee.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,018 in Glasgow versus $4,193 in Dundee.

Living in Glasgow is roughly 16% more expensive than in Dundee, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Glasgow 80% above, Dundee 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.02 £17.03

$21.94 £16.23

4.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.8 £50.9

$80.4 £59.5

-14.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.68 £7.90

$10.82 £8.01

-1.29%

Cappuccino

$4.98 £3.68

$4.51 £3.33

10.42%

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

$2.28 £1.69

$2.65 £1.96

-13.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 £1.35

$1.40 £1.04

30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.78 £4.28

$5.84 £4.32

-1.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.58 £4.87

$6.11 £4.52

7.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 £1.21

$2.19 £1.62

-25.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 £1.03

$1.73 £1.28

-19.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 £1.49

$2.84 £2.10

-29.23%

Eggs

$3.85 £2.85

$5.56 £4.11

-30.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.93 £7.35

$7.76 £5.74

27.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 £7.02

$9.78 £7.23

-3.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.95 £14.02

$15.62 £11.55

21.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 £2.08

$2.53 £1.87

11.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 £1.24

$2.26 £1.67

-25.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 £2.11

$2.91 £2.16

-2.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 £2.28

$2.84 £2.10

8.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 £1.32

$3.24 £2.40

-45.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.13

$2.10 £1.55

-27.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.86

$1.81 £1.34

-35.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 £1.25

$2.37 £1.76

-28.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.33 £18.00

$23.60 £17.46

3.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 £8.23

$12.02 £8.89

-7.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 £2.46

$3.38 £2.50

-1.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 £2.37

$3.38 £2.50

-5.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.12 £3.05

$3.42 £2.53

20.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 £76.4

$58.9 £43.58

75.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.85 £4.32

$4.71 £3.48

24.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 £0.89

$3.88 £2.87

-69.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.4 £46.87

$26.81 £19.83

136.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 £1.50

$1.93 £1.43

5.18%

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

$39.7K £29.4K

$38.7K £28.6K

2.77%

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

$41.9K £31.0K

$41.3K £30.6K

1.33%

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

$342 £253

$245 £181

39.97%

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

$20.02 £14.81

$13.30 £9.84

50.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.24 £31.25

$43.43 £32.13

-2.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.13 £33.38

$51.1 £37.83

-11.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.67 £15.29

$7.24 £5.36

185.50%

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 £11.86

$13.64 £10.09

17.52%

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

$931 £688

$2,016 £1,491

-53.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K £16.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 £102

$101 £75.0

35.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.04 £34.06

$58.0 £42.93

-20.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £78.2

$125 £92.4

-15.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.6 £68.5

$89.4 £66.1

3.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 £1,022

$1,053 £779

31.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 £806

$835 £618

30.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,775 £2,053

$1,681 £1,244

65.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,055 £1,520

$1,288 £953

59.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,208 £3,113

$4,176 £3,090

0.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,170 £2,345

$3,331 £2,464

-4.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,459 £2,559

$3,321 £2,457

4.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.75

5.41

-12.20%

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

Last update for Glasgow: August 30, 2026

Last update for Dundee: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,382 in Glasgow and $1,053 in Dundee. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Glasgow pays 4% 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: $69.0 in Glasgow vs $80.0 in Dundee for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 vs $341 per month, with Glasgow 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 Dundee: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Glasgow and Dundee differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,475 vs $2,137 including rent). Dundee is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 4% 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: $1,382 in Glasgow versus $1,053 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 75% less than in Glasgow. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $931 in Glasgow versus $2,016 in Dundee. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,137 in Dundee versus $2,475 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 16% less than in Glasgow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.