Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Glasgow: $2,425 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Glasgow
Learn more

Glasgow Living Index
195

Cost of Living Index in London
Learn more

London Living Index

Jump to prices

Glasgow

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,425

/mo nomad

London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,086

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Glasgow and in London

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

A single person spends $2,425 per month in Glasgow vs $4,086 in London, rent included.

Glasgow $2,425
London $4,086

A couple spends around $3,706 per month in Glasgow vs $5,891 in London, rent included.

Glasgow $3,706
London $5,891

A family of three spends $4,987 per month in Glasgow vs $7,696 in London, rent included.

Glasgow $4,987
London $7,696

Glasgow is about 41% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Glasgow and London sit above the global median – Glasgow by 78%, London by 200%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.28 £16.02

$26.55 £19.98

-19.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 £50.6

$107 £80.5

-37.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.58 £7.96

$10.78 £8.12

-1.86%

Cappuccino

$4.81 £3.62

$5.71 £4.30

-15.76%

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

$2.26 £1.70

$3.01 £2.26

-24.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.38

$2.29 £1.72

-20.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 £4.12

$9.08 £6.84

-39.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 £4.99

$8.07 £6.07

-17.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 £1.25

$1.90 £1.43

-12.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.23

$2.03 £1.53

-19.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 £1.51

$2.45 £1.84

-18.37%

Eggs

$4.00 £3.01

$5.07 £3.82

-21.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.28 £6.99

$12.71 £9.56

-26.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.08 £6.84

$10.61 £7.99

-14.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 £12.61

$17.68 £13.31

-5.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 £2.27

$3.17 £2.39

-4.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 £1.14

$1.45 £1.09

4.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 £2.19

$3.13 £2.36

-7.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 £2.40

$3.41 £2.57

-6.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 £1.45

$1.67 £1.26

15.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 £1.17

$1.77 £1.33

-12.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 £0.85

$1.43 £1.08

-20.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 £1.19

$1.87 £1.41

-15.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.96 £18.03

$23.91 £17.99

0.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 £8.52

$13.48 £10.14

-16.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.37 £2.53

$3.08 £2.32

9.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 £2.51

$4.39 £3.31

-24.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.98 £3.00

$4.08 £3.07

-2.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 £81.3

$252 £190

-57.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.75 £4.33

$5.74 £4.32

0.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 £0.86

$3.35 £2.52

-65.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.6 £45.62

$57.2 £43.07

5.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 £1.57

$2.08 £1.57

0.48%

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

$39.3K £29.6K

$38.0K £28.6K

3.38%

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

$40.6K £30.6K

$40.4K £30.4K

0.56%

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

$312 £235

$387 £291

-19.26%

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

$20.29 £15.27

$18.57 £13.98

9.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.05 £31.65

$40.69 £30.62

3.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 £28.08

$57.6 £43.33

-35.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.73 £15.60

$19.75 £14.87

4.96%

Cinema Ticket

$16.26 £12.24

$18.33 £13.79

-11.29%

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

$1,124 £846

$2,957 £2,225

-61.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K £16.3K

$35.9K £27.0K

-39.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$132 £99.3

$119 £89.4

11.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.81 £34.48

$56.3 £42.35

-18.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 £80.2

$131 £98.5

-18.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 £70.3

$165 £124

-43.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 £1,030

$2,811 £2,116

-51.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 £788

$2,291 £1,724

-54.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,770 £2,084

$5,185 £3,902

-46.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 £1,565

$3,805 £2,864

-45.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,035 £3,037

$17.7K £13.3K

-77.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,923 £2,200

$8,405 £6,325

-65.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,339 £2,513

$5,070 £3,816

-34.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

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

Last update for Glasgow: October 27, 2026

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Glasgow

$1K 43.2%

London

$2.3K 56.1% 119% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Glasgow

$375 15.5%

London

$446 10.9% 19.1% $71

Eating Out

Glasgow

$317 13.1%

London

$396 9.7% 25% $79

Groceries & Markets

Glasgow

$311 12.8%

London

$356 8.7% 14.4% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Glasgow

$170 7%

London

$212 5.2% 24.6% $42

Getting Around

Glasgow

$135 5.6%

London

$291 7.1% 115% $156

Sport & Entertainment

Glasgow

$70 2.9%

London

$94 2.3% 34.9% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,368 in Glasgow versus $2,811 in London. 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 52% higher in London, 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 in Glasgow versus $107 in London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $311 vs $356 – making Glasgow the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Glasgow

🇬🇧 London

🕒 Local time

21:55 9:55 PM

Same time as Glasgow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

606,340

8,908,083 Capital

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Glasgow London 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Glasgow
London

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 London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,425 in Glasgow, $4,086 in London – Glasgow comes out roughly 41% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,637 per month in Glasgow and $6,129 in London. 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 $1,368 there versus $2,811 in London.

Kindergarten costs $1,124 per month in Glasgow and $2,957 in London. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in London, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Glasgow, where all-in costs run around $2,425, than in London at $4,086. In Glasgow it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,425 in Glasgow to $4,086 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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