Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Exeter Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Exeter

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,466 in Glasgow versus $2,505 in Exeter.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,727 in Glasgow versus $3,948 in Exeter.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,988 in Glasgow versus $5,391 in Exeter.

Living in Glasgow costs roughly 2% less than in Exeter, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Glasgow 80% above, Exeter 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.79 £16.88

$20.06 £14.86

13.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.1 £49.73

$98.9 £73.3

-32.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.70 £7.92

$9.37 £6.94

14.19%

Cappuccino

$4.80 £3.56

$5.08 £3.76

-5.51%

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

$2.16 £1.60

$3.15 £2.33

-31.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 £1.32

$2.43 £1.80

-26.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 £4.26

$7.23 £5.35

-20.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.55 £4.85

$6.29 £4.66

4.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 £1.21

$1.51 £1.12

8.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 £1.03

$1.65 £1.23

-16.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 £1.51

$1.74 £1.29

17.24%

Eggs

$3.71 £2.75

$4.37 £3.24

-15.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.89 £7.32

$8.98 £6.65

10.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 £6.95

$8.96 £6.64

4.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.64 £13.81

$24.15 £17.89

-22.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 £1.98

$3.04 £2.25

-12.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.45 £1.08

9.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 £2.02

$2.64 £1.96

3.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 £2.30

$3.16 £2.34

-1.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 £1.33

$2.32 £1.72

-22.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.17

$1.97 £1.46

-19.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 £0.85

$1.62 £1.20

-29.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 £1.21

$1.89 £1.40

-13.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.30 £18.00

$24.38 £18.06

-0.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.38 £8.43

$9.25 £6.85

23.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 £2.41

$3.63 £2.69

-10.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 £2.37

$4.41 £3.26

-27.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.13 £3.06

$3.95 £2.93

4.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 £77.1

$107 £79.2

-2.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.05 £4.48

$5.80 £4.30

4.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 £0.90

$2.56 £1.89

-52.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.7 £45.70

$24.15 £17.89

155.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 £1.55

$2.01 £1.49

3.98%

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

$39.4K £29.2K

$39.5K £29.3K

-0.34%

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

$41.6K £30.8K

$41.2K £30.5K

0.80%

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

$340 £252

$475 £352

-28.33%

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

$19.53 £14.47

$15.89 £11.77

22.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.39 £30.65

$46.57 £34.49

-11.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.02 £32.60

$44.46 £32.93

-0.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 £15.06

$13.39 £9.92

51.83%

Cinema Ticket

$16.49 £12.21

$12.87 £9.53

28.13%

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

$921 £683

$1,470 £1,089

-37.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K £16.2K

$17.7K £13.1K

23.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$140 £104

$68.7 £50.9

104.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.40 £34.37

$31.74 £23.51

46.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.5

$103 £76.0

0.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 £68.3

$110 £81.1

-15.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 £987

$1,176 £871

13.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 £802

$931 £690

16.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,725 £2,018

$2,526 £1,871

7.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 £1,463

$2,093 £1,551

-5.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,101 £3,038

$5,439 £4,029

-24.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,128 £2,317

$6,608 £4,895

-52.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,483 £2,580

$3,117 £2,309

11.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.78

5.11

-6.46%

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

Last update for Glasgow: September 14, 2026

Last update for Exeter: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,332 in Glasgow and $1,176 in Exeter. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Glasgow pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Glasgow vs $99.0 in Exeter for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $313 vs $336 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 Exeter: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Glasgow and Exeter differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($2,466 vs $2,505 including rent). Glasgow is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% 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: $1,332 in Glasgow versus $1,176 in Exeter. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Glasgow – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $99.0 in Exeter. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,466 per month in Glasgow versus $2,505 in Exeter – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,466 in Glasgow versus $2,505 in Exeter, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Glasgow but tight or insufficient in Exeter. The gap between the two cities makes Glasgow 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 Exeter 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 Glasgow gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Exeter. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.