Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Rochdale

For one person, living is cheaper in Rochdale: $2,333 a month against $2,463 in Glasgow, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Glasgow, United Kingdom
Rochdale, United Kingdom
Glasgow
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,463
/mo nomad
Rochdale
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,333
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Glasgow and in Rochdale

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

A single person spends $2,463 per month in Glasgow vs $2,333 in Rochdale, rent included.

  • Glasgow $2,463
  • Rochdale $2,333

A couple spends around $3,755 per month in Glasgow vs $3,357 in Rochdale, rent included.

  • Glasgow $3,755
  • Rochdale $3,357

A family of three spends $5,047 per month in Glasgow vs $4,380 in Rochdale, rent included.

  • Glasgow $5,047
  • Rochdale $4,380

Glasgow costs about 6% more than Rochdale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Glasgow and Rochdale sit above the global median – Glasgow by 82%, Rochdale by 73%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Glasgow
Rochdale
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.74 £16.12
$25.39 £18.83
-14.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.8 £48.81
$88.1 £65.4
-25.31%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.83 £8.03
$10.40 £7.71
4.13%
Cappuccino
$4.96 £3.68
$4.54 £3.37
9.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 £1.76
$2.49 £1.85
-4.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 £1.37
$1.92 £1.42
-3.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.46 £4.05
$6.64 £4.92
-17.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.88 £5.10
$6.88 £5.11
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Glasgow
Rochdale
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 £1.23
$1.68 £1.24
-1.19%
White Bread (500g)
$1.70 £1.26
$1.78 £1.32
-4.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.99 £1.47
$1.97 £1.46
1.02%
Eggs
$3.99 £2.96
$3.99 £2.96
-
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.00 £6.68
$8.02 £5.95
12.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.07 £6.72
$8.53 £6.33
6.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.35 £12.86
$14.32 £10.62
21.16%
Apples (1kg)
$3.03 £2.25
$2.88 £2.14
5.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.58 £1.17
$1.70 £1.26
-7.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.01 £2.23
$2.78 £2.06
8.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.21 £2.38
$2.96 £2.20
8.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 £1.48
$1.98 £1.47
0.51%
Onion (1kg)
$1.58 £1.17
$1.43 £1.06
10.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 £0.88
$1.19 £0.88
-0.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 £1.21
$1.58 £1.18
3.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.88 £17.71
$23.65 £17.54
0.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.22 £8.32
$9.85 £7.31
13.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.24 £2.40
$2.55 £1.89
27.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.50 £2.60
$2.99 £2.22
17.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Glasgow
Rochdale
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.99 £2.96
$2.76 £2.05
44.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$108 £79.8
$98.8 £73.2
8.94%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.97 £4.43
$4.61 £3.42
29.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.81 £1.34
$2.14 £1.59
-15.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$62.8 £46.55
$16.32 £12.10
284.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.11 £1.57
$2.16 £1.60
-2.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.3K £29.1K
$38.6K £28.6K
1.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.3K £29.9K
$39.9K £29.6K
1.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Glasgow
Rochdale
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$331 £246
$255 £189
29.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.71 £14.62
$16.46 £12.21
19.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.28 £32.09
$41.51 £30.78
4.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Glasgow
Rochdale
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.36 £26.96
$44.43 £32.95
-18.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.58 £15.26
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.81 £11.72
$13.47 £9.99
17.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Glasgow
Rochdale
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,107 £821
$1,447 £1,073
-23.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.6K £16.8K
$17.8K £13.2K
27.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Glasgow
Rochdale
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$135 £100
$85.4 £63.3
58.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.59 £34.55
$43.21 £32.04
7.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 £78.0
$92.4 £68.6
13.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.0 £67.5
$99.9 £74.1
-8.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Glasgow
Rochdale
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,383 £1,026
$1,280 £949
8.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,054 £782
$1,036 £769
1.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,788 £2,067
$2,054 £1,523
35.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,103 £1,559
$1,498 £1,111
40.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,120 £3,056
$5,144 £3,815
-19.90%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,954 £2,191
$3,919 £2,906
-24.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Glasgow
Rochdale
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,437 £2,549
$2,367 £1,755
45.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
5.15
-7.38%

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

Last update for Glasgow: November 1, 2026

Last update for Rochdale: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Glasgow
$1.1K
Rochdale
$1K 1.7% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Glasgow
$394
Rochdale
$313 20.6% $81
Eating Out
Glasgow
$324
Rochdale
$353 9.1% $30
Groceries & Markets
Glasgow
$314
Rochdale
$290 7.7% $24
Clothing & Footwear
Glasgow
$170
Rochdale
$144 15.1% $26
Getting Around
Glasgow
$139
Rochdale
$125 9.7% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Glasgow
$68
Rochdale
$71 5% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,383 in Glasgow versus $1,280 in Rochdale. 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 45% higher in Glasgow. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Glasgow versus $88 in Rochdale. Groceries tell a different story – $314 in Glasgow vs $290 in Rochdale – so Rochdale wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Glasgow
🇬🇧 Rochdale
🕒 Local time
21:08 9:08 PM
21:08 9:08 PM
Same time as Glasgow
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
606,340
111,261
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.742 GBP (1 GBP = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 0.835 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Glasgow Rochdale 280 km
From you
  • Glasgow
  • Rochdale

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 Rochdale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Glasgow and in Rochdale compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,463 in Glasgow, $2,333 in Rochdale – Rochdale comes out roughly 5% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Glasgow compared to Rochdale?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,694 per month in Glasgow and $3,500 in Rochdale. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do apartment prices compare in Glasgow and in Rochdale?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,383 in Glasgow and $1,280 in Rochdale. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Glasgow and Rochdale?
Kindergarten costs $1,107 per month in Glasgow and $1,447 in Rochdale. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 8% more in Glasgow, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How does quality of life compare between Glasgow and Rochdale?
It depends on your priorities. Glasgow has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,333 in Rochdale to $2,463 in Glasgow. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Glasgow and Rochdale?
If budget matters most, go with Rochdale. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Glasgow makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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