Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Preston

For one person, living is cheaper in Preston: $2,114 a month against $2,425 in Glasgow, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Glasgow
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Glasgow Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in Preston
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Preston Living Index

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Glasgow

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,425

/mo nomad

Preston

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,114

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Glasgow and in Preston

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

A single person spends $2,425 per month in Glasgow vs $2,114 in Preston, rent included.

Glasgow $2,425
Preston $2,114

A couple spends around $3,706 per month in Glasgow vs $3,021 in Preston, rent included.

Glasgow $3,706
Preston $3,021

A family of three spends $4,987 per month in Glasgow vs $3,928 in Preston, rent included.

Glasgow $4,987
Preston $3,928

Glasgow costs about 15% more than Preston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Glasgow and Preston sit above the global median – Glasgow by 78%, Preston by 55%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.28 £15.87

$15.89 £11.85

33.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 £50.1

$74.3 £55.4

-9.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.58 £7.88

$9.20 £6.86

15.00%

Cappuccino

$4.81 £3.59

$4.24 £3.16

13.44%

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

$2.26 £1.68

$2.31 £1.72

-2.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.36

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 £4.09

$5.39 £4.02

1.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 £4.95

$5.20 £3.88

27.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 £1.24

$1.49 £1.11

12.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.43 £1.07

14.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 £1.49

$1.60 £1.19

25.00%

Eggs

$4.00 £2.98

$3.59 £2.68

11.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.28 £6.92

$5.30 £3.95

75.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.08 £6.77

$9.53 £7.10

-4.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 £12.49

$12.68 £9.46

32.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 £2.25

$2.59 £1.93

16.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 £1.13

$1.72 £1.28

-12.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 £2.17

$2.57 £1.92

13.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 £2.38

$3.96 £2.95

-19.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 £1.44

$2.06 £1.53

-6.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 £1.16

$2.25 £1.68

-31.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 £0.84

$1.17 £0.87

-3.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.65 £1.23

-4.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.96 £17.86

$21.56 £16.08

11.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 £8.44

$9.14 £6.81

23.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.37 £2.51

$3.18 £2.37

5.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 £2.48

$3.25 £2.42

2.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.98 £2.97

$3.92 £2.92

1.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 £80.5

$98.5 £73.4

9.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.75 £4.29

$2.60 £1.94

121.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 £0.85

$2.10 £1.57

-45.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.6 £45.19

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 £1.56

$1.99 £1.48

5.03%

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

$39.3K £29.3K

$37.9K £28.3K

3.63%

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

$40.6K £30.3K

$41.1K £30.7K

-1.23%

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

$312 £233

$439 £327

-28.83%

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

$20.29 £15.13

$14.86 £11.08

36.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.05 £31.35

$43.51 £32.44

-3.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 £27.82

$41.40 £30.87

-9.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.73 £15.46

$16.80 £12.52

23.39%

Cinema Ticket

$16.26 £12.12

$17.83 £13.30

-8.81%

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

$1,124 £838

$1,512 £1,127

-25.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K £16.1K

$8,738 £6,515

147.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$132 £98.4

$75.7 £56.5

74.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.81 £34.15

$26.16 £19.50

75.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 £79.5

$65.4 £48.75

63.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 £69.6

$66.4 £49.50

40.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 £1,020

$969 £723

41.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 £781

$767 £572

36.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,770 £2,065

$1,608 £1,199

72.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 £1,551

$1,211 £903

71.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,035 £3,008

$3,634 £2,709

11.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,923 £2,179

$2,379 £1,774

22.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,339 £2,489

$2,994 £2,232

11.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

4.93

-2.84%

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

Last update for Glasgow: October 27, 2026

Last update for Preston: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Glasgow

$1K 43.2%

Preston

$767 36.3% 26.7% $280

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Glasgow

$375 15.5%

Preston

$497 23.5% 32.7% $123

Eating Out

Glasgow

$317 13.1%

Preston

$260 12.3% 18.1% $57

Groceries & Markets

Glasgow

$311 12.8%

Preston

$281 13.3% 9.7% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Glasgow

$170 7%

Preston

$105 5% 38.2% $65

Getting Around

Glasgow

$135 5.6%

Preston

$127 6% 6% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Glasgow

$70 2.9%

Preston

$77 3.6% 10.4% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,368 in Glasgow versus $969 in Preston. 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 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 $74 in Preston. Groceries tell a different story – $311 in Glasgow vs $281 in Preston – so Preston wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Glasgow

🇬🇧 Preston

🕒 Local time

15:55 3:55 PM

Same time as Glasgow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

606,340

114,300

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Glasgow Preston 250 km

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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 Preston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,425 in Glasgow, $2,114 in Preston – Preston comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,637 per month in Glasgow and $3,172 in Preston. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Preston, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $969 there versus $1,368 in Glasgow.

Kindergarten costs $1,124 per month in Glasgow and $1,512 in Preston. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Glasgow, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Glasgow has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,114 in Preston to $2,425 in Glasgow. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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