Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Oldham

For one person, living is cheaper in Oldham: $1,982 a month against $2,425 in Glasgow, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
96

Cost of Living Index in Oldham
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Oldham Living Index

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Glasgow

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,425

/mo nomad

Oldham

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$1,982

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Glasgow and in Oldham

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

A single person spends $2,425 per month in Glasgow vs $1,982 in Oldham, rent included.

Glasgow $2,425
Oldham $1,982

A couple spends around $3,644 per month in Glasgow vs $2,932 in Oldham, rent included.

Glasgow $3,644
Oldham $2,932

A family of three spends $4,864 per month in Glasgow vs $3,883 in Oldham, rent included.

Glasgow $4,864
Oldham $3,883

Glasgow costs about 22% more than Oldham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Glasgow and Oldham sit above the global median – Glasgow by 79%, Oldham by 46%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.03 £15.78

$19.67 £14.75

6.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 £50.1

$88.1 £66.1

-24.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 £7.92

$9.56 £7.17

10.46%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.59

$4.79 £3.59

-0.21%

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

$2.27 £1.70

$2.93 £2.20

-22.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.99 £1.49

-4.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.43 £4.08

$7.24 £5.43

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 £5.07

$6.74 £5.06

0.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.24

$1.46 £1.10

13.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 £1.27

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 £1.49

$2.95 £2.21

-32.88%

Eggs

$3.93 £2.95

$4.05 £3.04

-2.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 £6.93

$9.83 £7.37

-6.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.29 £6.97

$8.81 £6.61

5.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 £12.62

$15.54 £11.66

8.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 £2.24

$3.15 £2.36

-5.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.12

$1.86 £1.40

-19.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 £2.17

$2.85 £2.14

1.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 £2.42

$3.46 £2.59

-6.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.49 £1.11

32.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 £1.19

$1.60 £1.20

-0.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 £0.89

$1.20 £0.90

-0.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 £1.23

$1.23 £0.92

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.68 £17.76

$23.63 £17.73

0.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 £8.35

$10.86 £8.15

2.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.54

$2.76 £2.07

22.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 £2.58

$3.12 £2.34

10.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.05

$2.61 £1.96

55.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 £77.5

$95.7 £71.8

8.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 £4.52

$3.21 £2.41

87.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 £0.87

$2.02 £1.52

-42.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.0 £46.48

$30.03 £22.53

106.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 £1.62

$2.12 £1.59

1.42%

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

$39.3K £29.5K

$38.2K £28.7K

2.75%

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

$39.7K £29.8K

$39.8K £29.8K

-0.29%

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

$315 £236

$251 £188

25.31%

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

$20.19 £15.15

$16.94 £12.71

19.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.28 £32.47

$40.55 £30.43

6.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.26 £34.71

$43.14 £32.36

7.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.34 £15.26

Cinema Ticket

$16.23 £12.17

$13.18 £9.89

23.14%

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

$905 £679

$1,290 £968

-29.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K £16.2K

$19.7K £14.8K

9.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 £102

$87.1 £65.3

55.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 £34.75

$41.43 £31.08

11.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.9

$93.5 £70.2

15.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 £69.9

$87.3 £65.5

6.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 £1,013

$1,222 £917

10.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 £778

$728 £546

42.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,680 £2,011

$1,368 £1,026

95.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 £1,456

$1,093 £820

77.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,064 £3,049

$5,063 £3,798

-19.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,073 £2,306

$3,336 £2,503

-7.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,420 £2,566

$2,483 £1,863

37.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

4.82

-0.62%

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

Last update for Glasgow: October 19, 2026

Last update for Oldham: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Glasgow

$1K 42.8%

Oldham

$728 36.7% 29.8% $308

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Glasgow

$378 15.6%

Oldham

$309 15.6% 18.4% $70

Eating Out

Glasgow

$315 13%

Oldham

$313 15.8% 0.6% $2

Groceries & Markets

Glasgow

$313 12.9%

Oldham

$304 15.4% 2.8% $8.7

Clothing & Footwear

Glasgow

$172 7.1%

Oldham

$139 7% 19.2% $33

Getting Around

Glasgow

$131 5.4%

Oldham

$119 6% 9.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Glasgow

$79 3.3%

Oldham

$70 3.5% 11.7% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,350 in Glasgow versus $1,222 in Oldham. 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 38% 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 $88.0 in Oldham. Groceries tell a different story – $313 in Glasgow vs $304 in Oldham – so Oldham wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Glasgow

🇬🇧 Oldham

🕒 Local time

11:41 11:41 AM

Same time as Glasgow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

606,340

110,718

💱 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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Between locations

Glasgow Oldham 290 km

From you

Glasgow
Oldham

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 Oldham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,425 in Glasgow, $1,982 in Oldham – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,637 per month in Glasgow and $2,972 in Oldham. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oldham, 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 $1,290 in Oldham. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% 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 $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Oldham, where all-in costs run around $1,982, than in Glasgow at $2,425. In Oldham 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 $1,982 in Oldham to $2,425 in Glasgow. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Oldham. 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.