Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Kingston upon Thames

For one person, living is cheaper in Glasgow: $2,463 a month against $3,270 in Kingston upon Thames, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Glasgow
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Glasgow Living Index
158

Cost of Living Index in Kingston upon Thames
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Kingston upon Thames Living Index

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Glasgow

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,463

/mo nomad

Kingston upon Thames

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$3,270

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Glasgow and in Kingston upon Thames

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 Kingston upon Thames actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,463 per month in Glasgow vs $3,270 in Kingston upon Thames, rent included.

Glasgow $2,463
Kingston upon Thames $3,270

A couple spends around $3,755 per month in Glasgow vs $4,792 in Kingston upon Thames, rent included.

Glasgow $3,755
Kingston upon Thames $4,792

A family of three spends $5,047 per month in Glasgow vs $6,314 in Kingston upon Thames, rent included.

Glasgow $5,047
Kingston upon Thames $6,314

Glasgow is about 25% cheaper than Kingston upon Thames, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Glasgow and Kingston upon Thames sit above the global median – Glasgow by 82%, Kingston upon Thames by 142%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.74 £16.16

$22.30 £16.58

-2.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 £48.92

$87.0 £64.7

-24.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 £8.05

$10.76 £7.99

0.65%

Cappuccino

$4.96 £3.69

$5.47 £4.07

-9.32%

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

$2.37 £1.76

$3.12 £2.32

-24.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 £1.38

$1.83 £1.36

1.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.46 £4.05

$9.30 £6.91

-41.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 £5.11

$8.06 £5.99

-14.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 £1.23

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 £1.27

$1.76 £1.30

-3.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 £1.48

$2.57 £1.91

-22.57%

Eggs

$3.99 £2.97

$5.21 £3.87

-23.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.00 £6.69

$8.74 £6.49

2.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 £6.74

$8.96 £6.66

1.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 £12.89

$12.98 £9.65

33.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 £2.25

$3.16 £2.35

-4.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.17

$1.37 £1.02

15.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 £2.24

$2.51 £1.87

19.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.21 £2.39

$2.93 £2.18

9.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 £1.48

$1.69 £1.26

17.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.17

$1.71 £1.27

-7.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 £0.88

$1.27 £0.95

-7.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.83 £1.36

-10.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.88 £17.75

$23.75 £17.65

0.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 £8.34

$9.23 £6.86

21.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.24 £2.41

$3.11 £2.31

4.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 £2.60

$4.35 £3.23

-19.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.99 £2.97

$2.42 £1.80

64.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 £80.0

$83.4 £62.0

29.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 £4.44

$5.82 £4.32

2.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 £1.35

$3.38 £2.51

-46.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.8 £46.65

$58.5 £43.49

7.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 £1.57

$2.12 £1.57

-0.47%

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

$39.3K £29.2K

$38.3K £28.5K

2.50%

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

$40.3K £30.0K

$41.4K £30.7K

-2.48%

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

$331 £246

$375 £278

-11.62%

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

$19.71 £14.65

$16.22 £12.05

21.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.28 £32.16

$41.82 £31.08

3.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.36 £27.02

$106 £78.7

-65.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.58 £15.30

$10.62 £7.89

93.79%

Cinema Ticket

$15.81 £11.75

$19.79 £14.71

-20.11%

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

$1,107 £823

$2,682 £1,994

-58.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K £16.8K

$35.1K £26.1K

-35.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 £100

$119 £88.7

13.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.59 £34.63

$52.7 £39.16

-11.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 £78.1

$81.7 £60.7

28.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.0 £67.7

$106 £79.0

-14.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,383 £1,028

$2,187 £1,625

-36.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,054 £784

$1,754 £1,303

-39.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,788 £2,072

$3,651 £2,713

-23.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 £1,563

$3,116 £2,316

-32.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,120 £3,062

$10.5K £7,816

-60.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,954 £2,196

$7,194 £5,347

-58.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,437 £2,555

$4,740 £3,523

-27.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

4.78

-0.21%

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

Last update for Glasgow: November 1, 2026

Last update for Kingston upon Thames: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Glasgow

$1.1K 42.8%

Kingston upon Thames

$1.8K 53.6% 66.3% $699

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Glasgow

$394 16%

Kingston upon Thames

$433 13.2% 9.8% $39

Eating Out

Glasgow

$324 13.2%

Kingston upon Thames

$359 11% 10.8% $35

Groceries & Markets

Glasgow

$314 12.7%

Kingston upon Thames

$302 9.2% 3.7% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Glasgow

$170 6.9%

Kingston upon Thames

$162 5% 4.7% $8

Getting Around

Glasgow

$139 5.6%

Kingston upon Thames

$116 3.5% 16.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Glasgow

$68 2.8%

Kingston upon Thames

$145 4.5% 114% $78

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,383 in Glasgow versus $2,187 in Kingston upon Thames. 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 38% higher in Kingston upon Thames. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Glasgow versus $87 in Kingston upon Thames. Groceries tell a different story – $314 in Glasgow vs $302 in Kingston upon Thames – so Kingston upon Thames wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Glasgow

🇬🇧 Kingston upon Thames

🕒 Local time

10:07 10:07 AM

Same time as Glasgow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

606,340

43,013

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.35 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.35 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Glasgow Kingston upon Thames 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Glasgow
Kingston upon Thames

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 Kingston upon Thames: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,463 in Glasgow, $3,270 in Kingston upon Thames – Glasgow comes out roughly 25% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,694 per month in Glasgow and $4,906 in Kingston upon Thames. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Glasgow, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,383 there versus $2,187 in Kingston upon Thames.

Kindergarten costs $1,107 per month in Glasgow and $2,682 in Kingston upon Thames. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Kingston upon Thames – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Glasgow, where all-in costs run around $2,463, than in Kingston upon Thames at $3,270. In Glasgow it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kingston upon Thames it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Glasgow costs $2,463 versus $3,270 in Kingston upon Thames. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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