Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Rochester

For one person, living is cheaper in Rochester: $2,132 a month against $2,425 in Glasgow, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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
104

Cost of Living Index in Rochester
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Rochester Living Index

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Glasgow

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,425

/mo nomad

Rochester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,132

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Glasgow and in Rochester

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

A single person spends $2,425 per month in Glasgow vs $2,132 in Rochester, rent included.

Glasgow $2,425
Rochester $2,132

A couple spends around $3,644 per month in Glasgow vs $3,270 in Rochester, rent included.

Glasgow $3,644
Rochester $3,270

A family of three spends $4,864 per month in Glasgow vs $4,408 in Rochester, rent included.

Glasgow $4,864
Rochester $4,408

Glasgow costs about 14% more than Rochester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Glasgow and Rochester sit above the global median – Glasgow by 79%, Rochester by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.03 £15.78

$25.66 £19.25

-18.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 £50.1

$95.2 £71.4

-29.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 £7.92

$10.06 £7.55

4.97%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.59

$4.99 £3.74

-4.21%

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

$2.27 £1.70

$2.35 £1.76

-3.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 £1.42

$2.38 £1.79

-20.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.43 £4.08

$5.21 £3.91

4.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 £5.07

$4.68 £3.51

44.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.24

$1.81 £1.36

-8.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 £1.27

$2.02 £1.52

-16.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 £1.49

$2.12 £1.59

-6.60%

Eggs

$3.93 £2.95

$3.55 £2.66

10.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 £6.93

$6.21 £4.66

48.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.29 £6.97

$7.46 £5.60

24.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 £12.62

$14.78 £11.09

13.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 £2.24

$2.78 £2.09

7.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.12

$1.90 £1.42

-21.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 £2.17

$2.30 £1.72

25.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 £2.42

$3.29 £2.47

-2.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.94 £1.45

1.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 £1.19

$1.20 £0.90

32.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 £0.89

$1.20 £0.90

-0.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 £1.23

$1.73 £1.30

-5.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.68 £17.76

$24.04 £18.04

-1.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 £8.35

$10.67 £8.01

4.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.54

$3.06 £2.30

10.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 £2.58

$3.15 £2.36

9.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.05

$4.10 £3.07

-0.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 £77.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 £4.52

$5.09 £3.82

18.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 £0.87

$2.67 £2.00

-56.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.0 £46.48

$39.41 £29.57

57.22%

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

$38.0K £28.5K

3.28%

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

$39.7K £29.8K

$40.3K £30.2K

-1.59%

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

$315 £236

$230 £173

36.53%

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

$20.19 £15.15

$16.51 £12.39

22.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.28 £32.47

$36.34 £27.27

19.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.26 £34.71

$39.16 £29.38

18.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.34 £15.26

Cinema Ticket

$16.23 £12.17

$17.33 £13.00

-6.35%

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

$905 £679

$1,310 £983

-30.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K £16.2K

$30.8K £23.1K

-29.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 £102

$91.7 £68.8

47.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 £34.75

$46.03 £34.53

0.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.9

$103 £77.6

4.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 £69.9

$91.3 £68.5

2.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 £1,013

$1,536 £1,152

-12.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 £778

$952 £714

8.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,680 £2,011

$2,079 £1,560

28.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 £1,456

$1,695 £1,271

14.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,064 £3,049

$5,339 £4,005

-23.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,073 £2,306

$4,521 £3,392

-32.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,420 £2,566

$3,403 £2,553

0.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

5.12

-6.45%

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

Last update for Glasgow: October 19, 2026

Last update for Rochester: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Glasgow

$1K 42.8%

Rochester

$952 44.7% 8.2% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Glasgow

$378 15.6%

Rochester

$283 13.3% 25.1% $95

Eating Out

Glasgow

$315 13%

Rochester

$350 16.4% 11.1% $35

Groceries & Markets

Glasgow

$313 12.9%

Rochester

$289 13.6% 7.6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Glasgow

$172 7.1%

Rochester

$150 7% 13.1% $23

Getting Around

Glasgow

$131 5.4%

Rochester

$35 * 1.6% 73.5% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Glasgow

$79 3.3%

Rochester

$74 3.5% 6.2% $4.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,350 in Glasgow versus $1,536 in Rochester. 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 0% 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 $95.0 in Rochester. Groceries tell a different story – $313 in Glasgow vs $289 in Rochester – so Rochester wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Glasgow

🇬🇧 Rochester

🕒 Local time

21:29 9:29 PM

Same time as Glasgow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

606,340

62,982

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Glasgow Rochester 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Glasgow
Rochester

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 Rochester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,425 in Glasgow, $2,132 in Rochester – roughly 14% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,637 per month in Glasgow and $3,198 in Rochester. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rochester, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,425 in Glasgow and $2,132 in Rochester. That's a gap of about 14%.

Kindergarten costs $905 per month in Glasgow and $1,310 in Rochester. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rochester, where all-in costs run around $2,132, than in Glasgow at $2,425. In Rochester 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 $2,132 in Rochester to $2,425 in Glasgow. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Rochester. 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.