Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Leeds

For one person, living is cheaper in Leeds: $2,227 a month against $2,425 in Glasgow, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Glasgow, United Kingdom
Leeds, United Kingdom
Glasgow
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,425
/mo nomad
Leeds
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,227
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Glasgow and in Leeds

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

A single person spends $2,425 per month in Glasgow vs $2,227 in Leeds, rent included.

  • Glasgow $2,425
  • Leeds $2,227

A couple spends around $3,706 per month in Glasgow vs $3,308 in Leeds, rent included.

  • Glasgow $3,706
  • Leeds $3,308

A family of three spends $4,987 per month in Glasgow vs $4,389 in Leeds, rent included.

  • Glasgow $4,987
  • Leeds $4,389

Glasgow costs about 9% more than Leeds, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Glasgow and Leeds sit above the global median – Glasgow by 78%, Leeds by 64%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Glasgow
Leeds
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.28 £16.02
$20.04 £15.09
6.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.2 £50.6
$78.5 £59.1
-14.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.58 £7.96
$9.35 £7.04
13.16%
Cappuccino
$4.81 £3.62
$5.04 £3.79
-4.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 £1.70
$3.68 £2.77
-38.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 £1.38
$2.68 £2.02
-31.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.48 £4.12
$7.46 £5.61
-26.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.63 £4.99
$8.51 £6.40
-22.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Glasgow
Leeds
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.67 £1.25
$1.63 £1.22
2.45%
White Bread (500g)
$1.64 £1.23
$1.51 £1.14
8.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.00 £1.51
$2.84 £2.13
-29.58%
Eggs
$4.00 £3.01
$4.12 £3.10
-2.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.28 £6.99
$10.84 £8.16
-14.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.08 £6.84
$9.01 £6.78
0.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.75 £12.61
$15.99 £12.04
4.75%
Apples (1kg)
$3.02 £2.27
$3.18 £2.39
-5.03%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 £1.14
$1.95 £1.46
-22.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.91 £2.19
$2.79 £2.10
4.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.19 £2.40
$3.49 £2.63
-8.60%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 £1.45
$1.68 £1.26
14.88%
Onion (1kg)
$1.55 £1.17
$1.67 £1.25
-7.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 £0.85
$1.35 £1.01
-16.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 £1.19
$1.62 £1.22
-2.47%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.96 £18.03
$20.04 £15.08
19.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.32 £8.52
$10.72 £8.07
5.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.37 £2.53
$2.83 £2.13
19.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 £2.51
$2.95 £2.22
12.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Glasgow
Leeds
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.98 £3.00
$3.43 £2.58
16.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$108 £81.3
$123 £92.8
-12.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.75 £4.33
$3.23 £2.43
78.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.14 £0.86
$2.08 £1.56
-45.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$60.6 £45.62
$18.08 £13.61
235.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 £1.57
$2.05 £1.54
1.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.3K £29.6K
$38.7K £29.1K
1.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.6K £30.6K
$40.9K £30.8K
-0.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Glasgow
Leeds
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$312 £235
$241 £182
29.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.29 £15.27
$16.77 £12.62
20.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.05 £31.65
$40.57 £30.53
3.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Glasgow
Leeds
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 £28.08
$36.86 £27.74
1.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.73 £15.60
$24.28 £18.28
-14.62%
Cinema Ticket
$16.26 £12.24
$13.89 £10.46
17.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Glasgow
Leeds
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,124 £846
$1,907 £1,436
-41.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.6K £16.3K
$22.1K £16.6K
-2.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Glasgow
Leeds
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$132 £99.3
$89.5 £67.3
47.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.81 £34.48
$46.78 £35.21
-2.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 £80.2
$88.5 £66.6
20.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.4 £70.3
$88.5 £66.6
5.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Glasgow
Leeds
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,368 £1,030
$1,248 £939
9.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,047 £788
$928 £699
12.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,770 £2,084
$2,140 £1,610
29.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,080 £1,565
$1,519 £1,143
36.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,035 £3,037
$3,906 £2,940
3.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,923 £2,200
$3,268 £2,460
-10.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Glasgow
Leeds
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,339 £2,513
$3,278 £2,467
1.85%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.79
4.99
-4.01%

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

Last update for Glasgow: October 27, 2026

Last update for Leeds: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Glasgow
$1K
Leeds
$928 11.4% $119
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Glasgow
$375
Leeds
$299 20.3% $76
Eating Out
Glasgow
$317
Leeds
$329 3.7% $12
Groceries & Markets
Glasgow
$311
Leeds
$316 1.6% $4.9
Clothing & Footwear
Glasgow
$170
Leeds
$141 17.1% $29
Getting Around
Glasgow
$135
Leeds
$151 11.2% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Glasgow
$70
Leeds
$65 7.4% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,368 in Glasgow versus $1,248 in Leeds. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Glasgow versus $79 in Leeds. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $311 vs $316 – making Glasgow the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Glasgow
🇬🇧 Leeds
🕒 Local time
20:25 8:25 PM
20:25 8:25 PM
Same time as Glasgow
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
606,340
766,399
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.753 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.838 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Glasgow Leeds 290 km
From you
  • Glasgow
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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 Leeds: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Glasgow and in Leeds compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,425 in Glasgow, $2,227 in Leeds – Leeds comes out roughly 8% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Glasgow compared to Leeds?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,637 per month in Glasgow and $3,341 in Leeds. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do apartment prices compare in Glasgow and in Leeds?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,368 in Glasgow and $1,248 in Leeds. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Which city is more expensive overall: Glasgow or Leeds?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,425 in Glasgow and $2,227 in Leeds. That makes Leeds about 8% cheaper.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Glasgow and Leeds?
Kindergarten costs $1,124 per month in Glasgow and $1,907 in Leeds. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is feasible on a $2,000 budget?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,425 in Glasgow and $2,227 in Leeds. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Where should digital nomads live: Glasgow or Leeds?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Leeds costs $2,227 versus $2,425 in Glasgow. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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