Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Plymouth

For one person, living is cheaper in Glasgow: $2,425 a month against $2,602 in Plymouth, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Plymouth
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Plymouth Living Index

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Glasgow

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,425

/mo nomad

Plymouth

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,602

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Glasgow and in Plymouth

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

A single person spends $2,425 per month in Glasgow vs $2,602 in Plymouth, rent included.

Glasgow $2,425
Plymouth $2,602

A couple spends around $3,644 per month in Glasgow vs $3,589 in Plymouth, rent included.

Glasgow $3,644
Plymouth $3,589

A family of three spends $4,864 per month in Glasgow vs $4,576 in Plymouth, rent included.

Glasgow $4,864
Plymouth $4,576

Glasgow is about 7% cheaper than Plymouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Glasgow and Plymouth sit above the global median – Glasgow by 79%, Plymouth by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.03 £15.78

$22.12 £16.59

-4.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 £50.1

$82.4 £61.8

-19.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 £7.92

$10.75 £8.06

-1.77%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.59

$5.02 £3.77

-4.78%

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

$2.27 £1.70

$2.10 £1.57

8.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.71 £1.28

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.43 £4.08

$6.28 £4.71

-13.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 £5.07

$6.09 £4.57

11.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.24

$1.47 £1.10

12.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 £1.27

$1.23 £0.92

37.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 £1.49

$3.02 £2.26

-34.44%

Eggs

$3.93 £2.95

$3.88 £2.91

1.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 £6.93

$10.24 £7.68

-9.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.29 £6.97

$8.51 £6.39

9.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 £12.62

$13.56 £10.18

24.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 £2.24

$2.04 £1.53

46.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.12

$1.44 £1.08

3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 £2.17

$4.06 £3.05

-28.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 £2.42

$3.96 £2.97

-18.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.90 £1.42

3.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 £1.19

$1.41 £1.06

12.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 £0.89

$1.75 £1.31

-32.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 £1.23

$1.47 £1.10

11.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.68 £17.76

$24.20 £18.15

-2.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 £8.35

$7.19 £5.39

54.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.54

$3.08 £2.31

10.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 £2.58

$4.69 £3.52

-26.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.05

$3.88 £2.91

4.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 £77.5

$134 £100

-22.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 £4.52

$6.57 £4.93

-8.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 £0.87

$2.47 £1.85

-53.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.0 £46.48

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 £1.62

$2.01 £1.51

6.97%

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

$39.3K £29.5K

$38.7K £29.0K

1.50%

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

$39.7K £29.8K

$40.6K £30.4K

-2.24%

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

$315 £236

$463 £347

-31.99%

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

$20.19 £15.15

$32.48 £24.37

-37.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.28 £32.47

$63.2 £47.39

-31.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.26 £34.71

$43.55 £32.68

6.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.34 £15.26

$17.83 £13.37

14.08%

Cinema Ticket

$16.23 £12.17

$11.52 £8.64

40.89%

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

$905 £679

$2,692 £2,019

-66.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K £16.2K

$28.1K £21.1K

-23.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 £102

$84.1 £63.1

60.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 £34.75

$57.1 £42.86

-18.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.9

$93.6 £70.2

15.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 £69.9

$80.7 £60.5

15.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 £1,013

$1,044 £783

29.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 £778

$1,043 £782

-0.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,680 £2,011

$2,243 £1,683

19.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 £1,456

$1,415 £1,062

37.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,064 £3,049

$4,882 £3,662

-16.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,073 £2,306

$3,369 £2,528

-8.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,420 £2,566

$3,046 £2,285

12.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

5.64

-15.07%

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

Last update for Glasgow: October 19, 2026

Last update for Plymouth: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Glasgow

$1K 42.8%

Plymouth

$1K 40.1% 0.6% $6.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Glasgow

$378 15.6%

Plymouth

$558 21.5% 47.7% $180

Eating Out

Glasgow

$315 13%

Plymouth

$328 12.6% 4.3% $14

Groceries & Markets

Glasgow

$313 12.9%

Plymouth

$296 11.4% 5.5% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Glasgow

$172 7.1%

Plymouth

$142 5.5% 17.6% $30

Getting Around

Glasgow

$131 5.4%

Plymouth

$168 6.5% 27.8% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Glasgow

$79 3.3%

Plymouth

$67 2.6% 15.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,350 in Glasgow versus $1,044 in Plymouth. 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 12% higher in Glasgow, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Glasgow versus $82.0 in Plymouth. Groceries tell a different story – $313 in Glasgow vs $296 in Plymouth – so Plymouth wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Glasgow

🇬🇧 Plymouth

🕒 Local time

18:16 6:16 PM

Same time as Glasgow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

606,340

264,695

💱 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 Plymouth 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Glasgow
Plymouth

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 Plymouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,425 in Glasgow, $2,602 in Plymouth – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,637 per month in Glasgow and $3,903 in Plymouth. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $905 per month in Glasgow and $2,692 in Plymouth. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Plymouth – 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 Glasgow, where all-in costs run around $2,425, than in Plymouth at $2,602. In Glasgow it covers expenses comfortably, while in Plymouth 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 $2,425 in Glasgow to $2,602 in Plymouth. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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