Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Ipswich

For one person, living costs are similar in Glasgow and in Ipswich: $2,425 and $2,348 a month, rent and utilities included.

Glasgow
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,425
/mo nomad
Ipswich
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,348
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Glasgow and in Ipswich

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

A single person spends $2,425 per month in Glasgow vs $2,348 in Ipswich, rent included.

  • Glasgow $2,425
  • Ipswich $2,348

A couple spends around $3,644 per month in Glasgow vs $3,450 in Ipswich, rent included.

  • Glasgow $3,644
  • Ipswich $3,450

A family of three spends $4,864 per month in Glasgow vs $4,551 in Ipswich, rent included.

  • Glasgow $4,864
  • Ipswich $4,551

Glasgow costs about 3% more than Ipswich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Glasgow and Ipswich sit above the global median – Glasgow by 79%, Ipswich by 73%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Glasgow
Ipswich
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.03 £15.78
$20.87 £15.66
0.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.7 £50.1
$106 £79.2
-36.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.56 £7.92
$10.54 £7.91
0.19%
Cappuccino
$4.78 £3.59
$5.50 £4.12
-13.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 £1.70
$1.68 £1.26
35.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.90 £1.42
$1.84 £1.38
3.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.43 £4.08
$6.83 £5.12
-20.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.76 £5.07
$6.95 £5.22
-2.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Glasgow
Ipswich
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.65 £1.24
$1.76 £1.32
-6.25%
White Bread (500g)
$1.69 £1.27
$1.69 £1.27
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.98 £1.49
$1.65 £1.24
20.00%
Eggs
$3.93 £2.95
$4.31 £3.24
-8.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.24 £6.93
$12.57 £9.43
-26.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.29 £6.97
$8.81 £6.61
5.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.82 £12.62
$15.47 £11.61
8.73%
Apples (1kg)
$2.99 £2.24
$3.08 £2.31
-2.92%
Banana (1kg)
$1.49 £1.12
$1.47 £1.10
1.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.89 £2.17
$2.78 £2.09
3.96%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.22 £2.42
$3.23 £2.42
-0.31%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 £1.47
$1.69 £1.27
16.57%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 £1.19
$1.43 £1.07
11.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 £0.89
$1.46 £1.10
-18.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 £1.23
$1.46 £1.10
12.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.68 £17.76
$23.41 £17.56
1.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.13 £8.35
$10.87 £8.15
2.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.39 £2.54
$2.68 £2.01
26.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 £2.58
$3.68 £2.76
-6.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Glasgow
Ipswich
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.07 £3.05
$2.81 £2.11
44.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$103 £77.5
$87.7 £65.8
17.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.03 £4.52
$5.61 £4.21
7.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.16 £0.87
$1.96 £1.47
-40.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$62.0 £46.48
$33.41 £25.06
85.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.15 £1.62
$1.96 £1.47
9.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.3K £29.5K
$39.3K £29.5K
-0.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.7K £29.8K
$41.3K £31.0K
-3.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Glasgow
Ipswich
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$315 £236
$375 £281
-16.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.19 £15.15
$15.89 £11.92
27.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.28 £32.47
$40.34 £30.26
7.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Glasgow
Ipswich
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.26 £34.71
$33.29 £24.97
38.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.34 £15.26
$7.97 £5.98
155.21%
Cinema Ticket
$16.23 £12.17
$17.76 £13.32
-8.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Glasgow
Ipswich
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$905 £679
$1,076 £807
-15.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.6K £16.2K
$20.2K £15.1K
7.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Glasgow
Ipswich
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$135 £102
$68.5 £51.4
97.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.32 £34.75
$55.2 £41.39
-16.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 £80.9
$80.1 £60.1
34.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.1 £69.9
$69.2 £51.9
34.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Glasgow
Ipswich
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,350 £1,013
$1,096 £822
23.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,036 £778
$972 £729
6.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,680 £2,011
$1,410 £1,058
90.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,941 £1,456
$1,540 £1,155
26.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,064 £3,049
$5,009 £3,758
-18.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,073 £2,306
$4,015 £3,012
-23.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Glasgow
Ipswich
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,420 £2,566
$2,990 £2,243
14.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.79
4.74
1.05%

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

Last update for Glasgow: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ipswich: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Glasgow
$1K
Ipswich
$972 6.2% $64
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Glasgow
$378
Ipswich
$431 14.1% $53
Eating Out
Glasgow
$315
Ipswich
$327 3.8% $12
Groceries & Markets
Glasgow
$313
Ipswich
$312 0.4% $1.1
Clothing & Footwear
Glasgow
$172
Ipswich
$123 28.7% $49
Getting Around
Glasgow
$131
Ipswich
$114 13% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Glasgow
$79
Ipswich
$69 12.6% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,350 in Glasgow versus $1,096 in Ipswich. 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 14% 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 $67.0 in Glasgow versus $106 in Ipswich. Groceries tell a different story – $313 in Glasgow vs $312 in Ipswich – so Ipswich wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Glasgow
🇬🇧 Ipswich
🕒 Local time
06:38 6:38 AM
06:38 6:38 AM
Same time as Glasgow
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
606,340
120,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Glasgow Ipswich 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Glasgow
  • Ipswich

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 Ipswich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Glasgow and in Ipswich compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,425 in Glasgow, $2,348 in Ipswich – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Glasgow compared to Ipswich?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,637 per month in Glasgow and $3,522 in Ipswich. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Glasgow and Ipswich?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ipswich, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Glasgow and Ipswich?
Kindergarten costs $905 per month in Glasgow and $1,076 in Ipswich. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 0% more in Glasgow, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Ipswich, where all-in costs run around $2,348, than in Glasgow at $2,425. In Ipswich it covers expenses comfortably, while in Glasgow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Glasgow and Ipswich?
It depends on your priorities. Glasgow has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,348 in Ipswich to $2,425 in Glasgow. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Glasgow or Ipswich safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Glasgow and Ipswich?
If budget matters most, go with Ipswich. 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.

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