Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Lerwick

For one person, living costs are similar in Glasgow and in Lerwick: $2,425 and $2,368 a month, rent and utilities included.

117

Cost of Living Index in Glasgow
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Glasgow Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Lerwick
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Lerwick Living Index

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Glasgow

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,425

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Lerwick

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,368

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Glasgow and in Lerwick

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

A single person spends $2,425 per month in Glasgow vs $2,368 in Lerwick, rent included.

Glasgow $2,425
Lerwick $2,368

A couple spends around $3,644 per month in Glasgow vs $3,415 in Lerwick, rent included.

Glasgow $3,644
Lerwick $3,415

A family of three spends $4,864 per month in Glasgow vs $4,462 in Lerwick, rent included.

Glasgow $4,864
Lerwick $4,462

Glasgow costs about 2% more than Lerwick, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Glasgow and Lerwick sit above the global median – Glasgow by 79%, Lerwick by 75%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.03 £15.78

$20.15 £15.11

4.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 £50.1

$98.5 £73.9

-32.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 £7.92

$10.35 £7.76

2.03%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.59

$5.40 £4.05

-11.48%

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

$2.27 £1.70

$2.25 £1.69

0.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.64 £1.23

15.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.43 £4.08

$6.45 £4.84

-15.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 £5.07

$5.86 £4.40

15.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.24

$1.55 £1.16

6.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 £1.27

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 £1.49

$2.21 £1.66

-10.41%

Eggs

$3.93 £2.95

$4.02 £3.02

-2.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 £6.93

$9.37 £7.03

-1.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.29 £6.97

$8.57 £6.43

8.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 £12.62

$14.44 £10.84

16.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 £2.24

$3.03 £2.27

-1.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.12

$1.51 £1.13

-1.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 £2.17

$2.76 £2.07

4.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 £2.42

$3.28 £2.46

-1.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.83 £1.37

7.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 £1.19

$1.71 £1.28

-7.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 £0.89

$1.26 £0.95

-5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 £1.23

$1.55 £1.16

5.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.68 £17.76

$24.02 £18.02

-1.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 £8.35

$10.48 £7.86

6.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.54

$3.00 £2.25

13.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 £2.58

$3.27 £2.46

5.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.05

$3.07 £2.30

32.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 £77.5

$83.1 £62.3

24.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 £4.52

$4.23 £3.18

42.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 £0.87

$2.35 £1.76

-50.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.0 £46.48

$24.03 £18.03

157.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 £1.62

$2.34 £1.75

-8.12%

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

$39.3K £29.5K

$38.9K £29.2K

0.99%

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

$39.7K £29.8K

$34.5K £25.9K

15.08%

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

$315 £236

$309 £232

1.67%

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

$20.19 £15.15

$19.33 £14.50

4.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.28 £32.47

$45.26 £33.95

-4.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.26 £34.71

$52.8 £39.61

-12.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.34 £15.26

Cinema Ticket

$16.23 £12.17

$13.32 £9.99

21.85%

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

$905 £679

$1,392 £1,045

-34.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K £16.2K

$24.5K £18.4K

-11.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 £102

$88.7 £66.5

52.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 £34.75

$50.6 £37.93

-8.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.9

$89.1 £66.8

21.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 £69.9

$110 £82.8

-15.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 £1,013

$1,112 £834

21.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 £778

$1,036 £777

0.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,680 £2,011

$2,395 £1,797

11.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 £1,456

$1,523 £1,143

27.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,064 £3,049

$4,646 £3,486

-12.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,073 £2,306

$3,438 £2,579

-10.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,420 £2,566

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

5.09

-5.89%

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

Last update for Glasgow: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lerwick: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Glasgow

$1K 42.8%

Lerwick

$1K 43.7% 0.1% $0.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Glasgow

$378 15.6%

Lerwick

$374 15.8% 1.1% $4

Eating Out

Glasgow

$315 13%

Lerwick

$317 13.4% 0.6% $1.9

Groceries & Markets

Glasgow

$313 12.9%

Lerwick

$298 12.6% 4.7% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Glasgow

$172 7.1%

Lerwick

$152 6.4% 11.5% $20

Getting Around

Glasgow

$131 5.4%

Lerwick

$111 4.7% 15.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Glasgow

$79 3.3%

Lerwick

$79 3.4% 0.9% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,350 in Glasgow versus $1,112 in Lerwick. 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 $67.0 in Glasgow versus $99.0 in Lerwick. Groceries tell a different story – $313 in Glasgow vs $298 in Lerwick – so Lerwick wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Glasgow

🇬🇧 Lerwick

🕒 Local time

17:23 5:23 PM

Same time as Glasgow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

606,340

7,000

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Glasgow Lerwick 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Glasgow
Lerwick

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 Lerwick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,425 in Glasgow, $2,368 in Lerwick – roughly 2% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,637 per month in Glasgow and $3,552 in Lerwick. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $905 per month in Glasgow and $1,392 in Lerwick. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Glasgow, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Lerwick, where all-in costs run around $2,368, than in Glasgow at $2,425. In Lerwick 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 $2,368 in Lerwick 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 Lerwick. 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.