Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Ely, Cambridgeshire

For one person, living is cheaper in Ely, Cambridgeshire: $2,360 a month against $2,463 in Glasgow, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Glasgow
Learn more

Glasgow Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Ely, Cambridgeshire
Learn more

Ely, Cambridgeshire Living Index

Jump to prices

Glasgow

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,463

/mo nomad

Ely, Cambridgeshire

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,360

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Glasgow and in Ely, Cambridgeshire

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Glasgow and in Ely, Cambridgeshire actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,463 per month in Glasgow vs $2,360 in Ely, Cambridgeshire, rent included.

Glasgow $2,463
Ely, Cambridgeshire $2,360

A couple spends around $3,755 per month in Glasgow vs $3,574 in Ely, Cambridgeshire, rent included.

Glasgow $3,755
Ely, Cambridgeshire $3,574

A family of three spends $5,047 per month in Glasgow vs $4,789 in Ely, Cambridgeshire, rent included.

Glasgow $5,047
Ely, Cambridgeshire $4,789

Glasgow costs about 4% more than Ely, Cambridgeshire, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Glasgow and Ely, Cambridgeshire sit above the global median – Glasgow by 82%, Ely, Cambridgeshire by 75%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.74 £16.28

$23.91 £17.90

-9.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 £49.28

$95.0 £71.1

-30.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 £8.11

$13.26 £9.93

-18.33%

Cappuccino

$4.96 £3.71

$5.34 £4.00

-7.12%

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

$2.37 £1.77

$2.40 £1.80

-1.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 £1.39

$1.69 £1.27

9.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.46 £4.08

$5.25 £3.93

4.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 £5.15

$3.38 £2.53

103.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 £1.24

$1.20 £0.90

38.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 £1.28

$1.60 £1.20

6.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 £1.49

$2.74 £2.05

-27.37%

Eggs

$3.99 £2.99

$3.51 £2.63

13.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.00 £6.74

$10.78 £8.08

-16.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 £6.79

$11.58 £8.67

-21.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 £12.99

$17.28 £12.93

0.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 £2.27

$4.03 £3.02

-24.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.37 £1.02

15.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 £2.25

$2.65 £1.99

13.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.21 £2.40

$4.49 £3.36

-28.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 £1.49

$1.66 £1.24

19.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.18

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 £0.89

$1.16 £0.87

1.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 £1.22

$1.50 £1.12

8.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.88 £17.88

$21.53 £16.12

10.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 £8.40

$10.70 £8.01

4.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.24 £2.43

$2.13 £1.60

52.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 £2.62

$2.82 £2.11

24.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.99 £2.99

$5.83 £4.37

-31.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 £80.6

$57.7 £43.20

86.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 £4.47

$4.46 £3.34

33.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 £1.36

$2.29 £1.71

-20.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.8 £47.00

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 £1.58

$2.16 £1.62

-2.31%

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

$39.3K £29.4K

$40.7K £30.5K

-3.46%

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

$40.3K £30.2K

$41.2K £30.8K

-2.11%

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

$331 £248

$284 £212

16.79%

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

$19.71 £14.76

$16.89 £12.64

16.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.28 £32.40

$33.61 £25.17

28.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.36 £27.22

$44.40 £33.25

-18.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.58 £15.41

$15.96 £11.95

28.95%

Cinema Ticket

$15.81 £11.84

$15.90 £11.91

-0.57%

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

$1,107 £829

$1,747 £1,308

-36.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K £17.0K

$14.8K £11.1K

53.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 £101

$97.0 £72.6

39.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.59 £34.89

$56.1 £41.96

-16.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 £78.7

$125 £93.3

-15.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.0 £68.2

$103 £77.3

-11.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,383 £1,036

$1,155 £864

19.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,054 £789

$1,012 £758

4.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,788 £2,087

$1,895 £1,419

47.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 £1,574

$1,749 £1,310

20.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,120 £3,085

$5,812 £4,352

-29.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,954 £2,212

$5,135 £3,844

-42.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,437 £2,573

$3,333 £2,496

3.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

4.62

3.25%

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

Last update for Glasgow: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ely, Cambridgeshire: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Glasgow

$1.1K 42.8%

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$1K 42.9% 4% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Glasgow

$394 16%

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$334 14.2% 15.2% $60

Eating Out

Glasgow

$324 13.2%

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$345 14.6% 6.4% $21

Groceries & Markets

Glasgow

$314 12.7%

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$325 13.8% 3.6% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Glasgow

$170 6.9%

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$171 7.3% 0.8% $1.3

Getting Around

Glasgow

$139 5.6%

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$97 4.1% 30% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Glasgow

$68 2.8%

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$76 3.2% 12.1% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,383 in Glasgow versus $1,155 in Ely, Cambridgeshire. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Glasgow, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Glasgow versus $95 in Ely, Cambridgeshire. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $314 vs $325 – making Glasgow the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Glasgow

🇬🇧 Ely, Cambridgeshire

🕒 Local time

02:42 2:42 AM

Same time as Glasgow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

606,340

20,574

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Glasgow Ely, Cambridgeshire 490 km

From you

Glasgow
Ely, Cambridgeshire

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Ely, Cambridgeshire: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Glasgow is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,694 per month in Glasgow and $3,540 in Ely, Cambridgeshire. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ely, Cambridgeshire, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,155 there versus $1,383 in Glasgow.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,463 in Glasgow and $2,360 in Ely, Cambridgeshire. That makes Ely, Cambridgeshire about 4% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 46% less in Ely, Cambridgeshire. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

It depends on your priorities. Glasgow has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,360 in Ely, Cambridgeshire to $2,463 in Glasgow. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Ely, Cambridgeshire. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Glasgow makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.