Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Leicester

For one person, living is cheaper in Leicester: $2,266 a month against $2,425 in Glasgow, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Glasgow
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Glasgow Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Leicester
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Leicester Living Index

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Glasgow

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,425

/mo nomad

Leicester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,266

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Glasgow and in Leicester

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

A single person spends $2,425 per month in Glasgow vs $2,266 in Leicester, rent included.

Glasgow $2,425
Leicester $2,266

A couple spends around $3,706 per month in Glasgow vs $3,200 in Leicester, rent included.

Glasgow $3,706
Leicester $3,200

A family of three spends $4,987 per month in Glasgow vs $4,133 in Leicester, rent included.

Glasgow $4,987
Leicester $4,133

Glasgow costs about 7% more than Leicester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Glasgow and Leicester sit above the global median – Glasgow by 78%, Leicester by 66%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.28 £15.90

$21.76 £16.26

-2.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 £50.2

$66.0 £49.30

1.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.58 £7.90

$9.24 £6.90

14.50%

Cappuccino

$4.81 £3.60

$4.72 £3.53

1.91%

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

$2.26 £1.69

$2.42 £1.81

-6.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.37

$1.36 £1.02

34.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 £4.09

$6.74 £5.04

-18.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 £4.96

$5.20 £3.89

27.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 £1.25

$1.73 £1.29

-3.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.62 £1.21

1.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 £1.50

$2.18 £1.63

-8.26%

Eggs

$4.00 £2.99

$3.94 £2.94

1.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.28 £6.93

$10.21 £7.63

-9.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.08 £6.79

$8.99 £6.71

1.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 £12.52

$14.85 £11.09

12.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 £2.26

$2.88 £2.15

4.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 £1.13

$1.49 £1.11

1.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 £2.18

$2.74 £2.04

6.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 £2.38

$3.47 £2.59

-8.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 £1.44

$1.55 £1.16

24.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 £1.16

$1.57 £1.17

-1.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 £0.84

$1.18 £0.88

-4.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.47 £1.10

7.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.96 £17.90

$21.03 £15.71

13.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 £8.46

$11.26 £8.42

0.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.37 £2.51

$2.49 £1.86

35.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 £2.49

$3.18 £2.37

4.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.98 £2.98

$4.11 £3.07

-3.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 £80.7

$100 £74.7

8.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.75 £4.30

$4.86 £3.63

18.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 £0.85

$3.93 £2.94

-70.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.6 £45.28

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 £1.56

$2.03 £1.52

2.96%

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

$39.3K £29.3K

$38.0K £28.4K

3.39%

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

$40.6K £30.4K

$40.2K £30.1K

0.95%

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

$312 £233

0.12%

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

$20.29 £15.16

$16.36 £12.22

24.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.05 £31.41

$44.04 £32.90

-4.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 £27.87

$34.58 £25.84

7.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.73 £15.49

$26.32 £19.66

-21.24%

Cinema Ticket

$16.26 £12.15

$14.55 £10.87

11.75%

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

$1,124 £840

$1,372 £1,025

-18.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K £16.1K

$26.4K £19.7K

-18.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$132 £98.6

$83.0 £62.0

59.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.81 £34.22

$41.80 £31.22

9.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 £79.7

$107 £80.1

-0.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 £69.8

$107 £79.7

-12.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 £1,022

$1,090 £814

25.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 £782

$918 £685

14.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,770 £2,069

$1,739 £1,299

59.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 £1,554

$1,290 £963

61.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,035 £3,014

$4,857 £3,629

-16.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,923 £2,183

$3,333 £2,490

-12.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,339 £2,494

$2,936 £2,193

13.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

5.33

-10.13%

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

Last update for Glasgow: October 27, 2026

Last update for Leicester: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Glasgow

$1K 43.2%

Leicester

$918 40.5% 12.4% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Glasgow

$375 15.5%

Leicester

$372 16.4% 0.6% $2.3

Eating Out

Glasgow

$317 13.1%

Leicester

$318 14% 0.3% $1

Groceries & Markets

Glasgow

$311 12.8%

Leicester

$301 13.3% 3.1% $9.7

Clothing & Footwear

Glasgow

$170 7%

Leicester

$152 6.7% 10.4% $18

Getting Around

Glasgow

$135 5.6%

Leicester

$141 6.2% 4.1% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Glasgow

$70 2.9%

Leicester

$64 2.8% 8.8% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,368 in Glasgow versus $1,090 in Leicester. 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. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Glasgow versus $66 in Leicester. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $311 vs $301 – making Leicester the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Glasgow

🇬🇧 Leicester

🕒 Local time

03:09 3:09 AM

Same time as Glasgow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

606,340

305,700

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Glasgow Leicester 410 km

From you

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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 Leicester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,425 in Glasgow, $2,266 in Leicester – Leicester comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,637 per month in Glasgow and $3,399 in Leicester. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Leicester, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,090 there versus $1,368 in Glasgow.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,425 in Glasgow and $2,266 in Leicester. That makes Leicester about 7% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,124 per month in Glasgow and $1,372 in Leicester. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,425 in Glasgow and $2,266 in Leicester. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Glasgow has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,266 in Leicester to $2,425 in Glasgow. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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