Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Retford

For one person, living is cheaper in Retford: $2,255 a month against $2,425 in Glasgow, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 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
113

Cost of Living Index in Retford
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Retford Living Index

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Glasgow

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,425

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Retford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,255

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Glasgow and in Retford

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

A single person spends $2,425 per month in Glasgow vs $2,255 in Retford, rent included.

Glasgow $2,425
Retford $2,255

A couple spends around $3,644 per month in Glasgow vs $3,343 in Retford, rent included.

Glasgow $3,644
Retford $3,343

A family of three spends $4,864 per month in Glasgow vs $4,432 in Retford, rent included.

Glasgow $4,864
Retford $4,432

Glasgow costs about 8% more than Retford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Glasgow and Retford sit above the global median – Glasgow by 79%, Retford by 66%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.03 £15.78

$14.72 £11.04

42.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 £50.1

$66.5 £49.87

0.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 £7.92

$7.14 £5.36

47.90%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.59

$3.88 £2.91

23.20%

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

$2.27 £1.70

$1.75 £1.31

29.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.78 £1.33

6.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.43 £4.08

$4.30 £3.22

26.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 £5.07

$4.34 £3.26

55.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.24

$1.72 £1.29

-4.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 £1.27

$1.83 £1.38

-7.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 £1.49

$1.64 £1.23

20.73%

Eggs

$3.93 £2.95

$4.66 £3.50

-15.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 £6.93

$11.18 £8.39

-17.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.29 £6.97

$10.16 £7.62

-8.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 £12.62

$12.50 £9.38

34.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 £2.24

$2.09 £1.56

43.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.12

$1.80 £1.35

-17.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 £2.17

$1.76 £1.32

64.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 £2.42

$1.74 £1.31

85.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.48 £1.11

33.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 £1.19

$1.58 £1.19

0.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 £0.89

$0.42 £0.31

183.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 £1.23

$1.56 £1.17

5.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.68 £17.76

$23.33 £17.50

1.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 £8.35

$7.77 £5.83

43.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.54

$1.70 £1.27

99.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 £2.58

$2.04 £1.53

68.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.05

$3.65 £2.74

11.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 £77.5

$108 £80.7

-3.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 £4.52

$4.93 £3.70

22.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 £0.87

$3.91 £2.93

-70.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.0 £46.48

$28.85 £21.64

114.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 £1.62

$2.09 £1.57

2.87%

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

$39.3K £29.5K

$40.1K £30.1K

-2.18%

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

$39.7K £29.8K

$44.2K £33.2K

-10.27%

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

$315 £236

$342 £257

-7.99%

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

$20.19 £15.15

$27.87 £20.91

-27.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.28 £32.47

$46.53 £34.91

-6.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.26 £34.71

$52.7 £39.53

-12.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.34 £15.26

Cinema Ticket

$16.23 £12.17

$11.50 £8.62

41.13%

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

$905 £679

$1,926 £1,445

-53.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K £16.2K

$23.9K £17.9K

-9.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 £102

$85.1 £63.9

59.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 £34.75

$60.8 £45.59

-23.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.9

$109 £81.4

-0.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 £69.9

$161 £121

-42.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 £1,013

$1,398 £1,049

-3.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 £778

$924 £693

12.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,680 £2,011

$2,099 £1,575

27.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 £1,456

$1,675 £1,257

15.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,064 £3,049

$5,059 £3,796

-19.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,073 £2,306

$3,851 £2,889

-20.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,420 £2,566

$1,711 £1,283

99.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

5.3

-9.62%

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

Last update for Glasgow: October 19, 2026

Last update for Retford: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Glasgow

$1K 42.8%

Retford

$924 41% 10.9% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Glasgow

$378 15.6%

Retford

$416 18.5% 10.1% $38

Eating Out

Glasgow

$315 13%

Retford

$230 10.2% 26.9% $85

Groceries & Markets

Glasgow

$313 12.9%

Retford

$276 12.2% 11.9% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Glasgow

$172 7.1%

Retford

$187 8.3% 8.6% $15

Getting Around

Glasgow

$131 5.4%

Retford

$147 6.5% 11.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Glasgow

$79 3.3%

Retford

$76 3.4% 3.8% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,350 in Glasgow versus $1,398 in Retford. 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 100% 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 $66.0 in Retford. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $313 vs $276 – making Retford the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Glasgow

🇬🇧 Retford

🕒 Local time

12:15 12:15 PM

Same time as Glasgow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

606,340

22,023

💱 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

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Glasgow Retford 350 km

From you

Glasgow
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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 Retford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,425 in Glasgow, $2,255 in Retford – roughly 8% 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 $3,383 in Retford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Retford, 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 $1,926 in Retford. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% 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 Retford, where all-in costs run around $2,255, than in Glasgow at $2,425. In Retford 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 $2,255 in Retford 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 Retford. 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.