Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Ilford

For one person, living costs are similar in Glasgow and in Ilford: $2,425 and $2,414 a month, rent and utilities included.

117

Cost of Living Index in Glasgow
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Glasgow Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Ilford
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Ilford Living Index

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Glasgow

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,425

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Ilford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,414

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Glasgow and in Ilford

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 Ilford actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,425 per month in Glasgow vs $2,414 in Ilford, rent included.

Glasgow $2,425
Ilford $2,414

A couple spends around $3,641 per month in Glasgow vs $3,764 in Ilford, rent included.

Glasgow $3,641
Ilford $3,764

A family of three spends $4,856 per month in Glasgow vs $5,115 in Ilford, rent included.

Glasgow $4,856
Ilford $5,115

Glasgow and Ilford have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Glasgow and Ilford sit above the global median – Glasgow by 80%, Ilford by 79%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.32 £15.99

$21.28 £15.97

0.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.5 £53.6

$93.9 £70.5

-23.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 £7.82

$10.51 £7.89

-0.86%

Cappuccino

$4.81 £3.61

$4.60 £3.45

4.57%

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

$2.15 £1.61

$2.81 £2.11

-23.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.35

$1.83 £1.38

-1.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.32 £3.99

$7.91 £5.93

-32.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 £4.89

$6.43 £4.82

1.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 £1.22

$1.64 £1.23

-1.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 £1.21

$1.72 £1.29

-6.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 £1.47

$2.30 £1.72

-14.78%

Eggs

$3.80 £2.85

$4.60 £3.45

-17.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 £6.92

$9.46 £7.09

-2.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.03 £6.78

$9.61 £7.21

-6.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.68 £12.52

$15.45 £11.59

7.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 £2.33

$2.94 £2.21

5.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 £1.17

$1.41 £1.06

10.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 £2.21

$2.96 £2.22

-0.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 £2.40

$3.28 £2.46

-2.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 £1.48

$1.67 £1.25

18.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 £1.21

$1.77 £1.33

-9.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 £0.86

$1.28 £0.96

-10.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 £1.19

$1.77 £1.33

-10.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.19 £17.40

$22.20 £16.65

4.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.17

$10.88 £8.16

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.42

$3.04 £2.28

5.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 £2.54

$3.92 £2.94

-13.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 £3.23

$3.43 £2.57

25.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 £77.4

$97.6 £73.3

5.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 £4.25

$5.39 £4.05

5.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 £0.85

$2.61 £1.96

-56.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.4 £45.34

$25.45 £19.09

137.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.60

$2.11 £1.58

1.42%

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

$38.6K £28.9K

$38.9K £29.2K

-1.00%

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

$40.5K £30.4K

$40.9K £30.7K

-1.15%

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

$313 £235

$334 £250

-6.20%

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

$20.21 £15.16

$18.31 £13.74

10.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.75 £31.32

$40.86 £30.65

2.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 £34.29

$44.93 £33.70

1.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.00 £15.00

Cinema Ticket

$15.76 £11.82

$17.09 £12.82

-7.78%

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

$903 £677

$2,535 £1,902

-64.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K £16.3K

$35.1K £26.3K

-38.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 £99.7

$88.0 £66.0

51.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.40 £34.81

$46.25 £34.69

0.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 £80.0

$93.0 £69.8

14.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 £67.0

$96.2 £72.1

-7.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,317 £988

$1,350 £1,013

-2.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,050 £787

$1,023 £768

2.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,746 £2,060

$2,960 £2,221

-7.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,931 £1,448

$2,099 £1,575

-8.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,110 £3,083

$4,983 £3,739

-17.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,011 £2,259

$3,831 £2,874

-21.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,323 £2,493

$3,485 £2,615

-4.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

5.04

-4.96%

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

Last update for Glasgow: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ilford: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Glasgow

$1K 43.3%

Ilford

$1K 42.4% 2.5% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Glasgow

$375 15.5%

Ilford

$393 16.3% 4.8% $18

Eating Out

Glasgow

$315 13%

Ilford

$328 13.6% 4.1% $13

Groceries & Markets

Glasgow

$308 12.7%

Ilford

$315 13.1% 2.2% $6.9

Clothing & Footwear

Glasgow

$169 7%

Ilford

$146 6% 13.8% $23

Getting Around

Glasgow

$132 5.4%

Ilford

$130 5.4% 1.4% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Glasgow

$77 3.2%

Ilford

$79 3.3% 2.4% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,317 in Glasgow versus $1,350 in Ilford. 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 5% higher in Ilford. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Glasgow versus $94.0 in Ilford. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $308 vs $315 – making Glasgow the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Glasgow

🇬🇧 Ilford

🕒 Local time

00:46 12:46 AM

Same time as Glasgow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

606,340

168,168

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Glasgow Ilford 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Glasgow
Ilford

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 Ilford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,638 per month in Glasgow and $3,620 in Ilford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ilford, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Glasgow – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

Kindergarten costs $903 per month in Glasgow and $2,535 in Ilford. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ilford, where all-in costs run around $2,414, than in Glasgow at $2,425. In Ilford it covers expenses comfortably, while in Glasgow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Glasgow has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,414 in Ilford to $2,425 in Glasgow. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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