Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Oban

For one person, living is cheaper in Oban: $2,142 a month against $2,425 in Glasgow, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Glasgow
Learn more

Glasgow Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Oban
Learn more

Oban Living Index

Jump to prices

Glasgow

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,425

/mo nomad

Oban

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Glasgow and in Oban

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

A single person spends $2,425 per month in Glasgow vs $2,142 in Oban, rent included.

Glasgow $2,425
Oban $2,142

A couple spends around $3,644 per month in Glasgow vs $3,149 in Oban, rent included.

Glasgow $3,644
Oban $3,149

A family of three spends $4,864 per month in Glasgow vs $4,156 in Oban, rent included.

Glasgow $4,864
Oban $4,156

Glasgow costs about 13% more than Oban, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Glasgow and Oban sit above the global median – Glasgow by 79%, Oban by 58%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.03 £15.78

$15.86 £11.90

32.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 £50.1

$85.5 £64.1

-21.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 £7.92

$9.30 £6.98

13.55%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.59

$4.85 £3.64

-1.44%

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

$2.27 £1.70

$2.24 £1.68

1.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 £1.42

$2.14 £1.60

-11.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.43 £4.08

$5.82 £4.37

-6.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 £5.07

$5.06 £3.80

33.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.24

$1.51 £1.13

9.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 £1.27

$1.72 £1.29

-1.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 £1.49

$2.00 £1.50

-1.00%

Eggs

$3.93 £2.95

$4.56 £3.42

-13.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 £6.93

$8.85 £6.64

4.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.29 £6.97

$11.90 £8.93

-21.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 £12.62

$16.69 £12.52

0.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 £2.24

$2.93 £2.20

2.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.12

$1.33 £1.00

12.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 £2.17

$2.75 £2.06

5.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 £2.42

$3.83 £2.87

-15.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.73 £1.30

13.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 £1.19

$1.45 £1.09

9.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 £0.89

$1.21 £0.91

-1.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 £1.23

$1.60 £1.20

2.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.68 £17.76

$21.80 £16.35

8.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 £8.35

$11.15 £8.36

-0.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.54

$2.80 £2.10

21.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 £2.58

$3.02 £2.27

13.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.05

$3.57 £2.68

14.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 £77.5

$98.0 £73.6

5.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 £4.52

$3.88 £2.91

55.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 £0.87

$2.38 £1.78

-51.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.0 £46.48

$23.74 £17.81

160.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 £1.62

$2.04 £1.53

5.39%

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

$39.3K £29.5K

$38.4K £28.8K

2.16%

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

$39.7K £29.8K

$40.4K £30.3K

-1.81%

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

$315 £236

$339 £254

-7.24%

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

$20.19 £15.15

$28.24 £21.19

-28.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.28 £32.47

$42.43 £31.83

2.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.26 £34.71

$45.42 £34.08

1.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.34 £15.26

$6.49 £4.87

213.41%

Cinema Ticket

$16.23 £12.17

$11.44 £8.58

41.87%

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

$905 £679

$1,778 £1,334

-49.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K £16.2K

$22.7K £17.0K

-4.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 £102

$97.8 £73.4

38.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 £34.75

$48.68 £36.52

-4.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.9

$106 £79.3

2.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 £69.9

$116 £86.7

-19.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 £1,013

$1,206 £905

11.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 £778

$778 £584

33.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,680 £2,011

$2,071 £1,553

29.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 £1,456

$1,231 £924

57.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,064 £3,049

$5,074 £3,806

-19.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,073 £2,306

$3,866 £2,900

-20.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,420 £2,566

$3,005 £2,254

13.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

5.11

-6.26%

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

Last update for Glasgow: October 19, 2026

Last update for Oban: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Glasgow

$1K 42.8%

Oban

$778 36.4% 24.9% $258

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Glasgow

$378 15.6%

Oban

$410 19.1% 8.4% $32

Eating Out

Glasgow

$315 13%

Oban

$270 12.6% 14.3% $45

Groceries & Markets

Glasgow

$313 12.9%

Oban

$322 15% 2.9% $9

Clothing & Footwear

Glasgow

$172 7.1%

Oban

$165 7.7% 3.9% $6.8

Getting Around

Glasgow

$131 5.4%

Oban

$128 6% 2.5% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Glasgow

$79 3.3%

Oban

$68 3.2% 13.2% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,350 in Glasgow versus $1,206 in Oban. 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, 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 $67.0 in Glasgow versus $85.0 in Oban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $313 vs $322 – making Glasgow the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Glasgow

🇬🇧 Oban

🕒 Local time

04:09 4:09 AM

Same time as Glasgow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

606,340

8,500

💱 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 Oban 97 km

From you

Glasgow
Oban

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 Oban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,425 in Glasgow, $2,142 in Oban – roughly 13% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,637 per month in Glasgow and $3,212 in Oban. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oban, 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 $1,778 in Oban. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Glasgow – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Oban, where all-in costs run around $2,142, than in Glasgow at $2,425. In Oban 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 $2,142 in Oban 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 Oban. 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.