Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Romford

For one person, living is cheaper in Glasgow: $2,425 a month against $2,706 in Romford, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
131

Cost of Living Index in Romford
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Romford Living Index

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Glasgow

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,425

/mo nomad

Romford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,706

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Glasgow and in Romford

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

A single person spends $2,425 per month in Glasgow vs $2,706 in Romford, rent included.

Glasgow $2,425
Romford $2,706

A couple spends around $3,644 per month in Glasgow vs $4,122 in Romford, rent included.

Glasgow $3,644
Romford $4,122

A family of three spends $4,864 per month in Glasgow vs $5,538 in Romford, rent included.

Glasgow $4,864
Romford $5,538

Glasgow is about 10% cheaper than Romford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Glasgow and Romford sit above the global median – Glasgow by 79%, Romford by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.03 £15.78

$23.90 £17.93

-12.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 £50.1

$108 £81.3

-38.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 £7.92

$10.75 £8.07

-1.77%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.59

$4.88 £3.66

-2.05%

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

$2.27 £1.70

$2.68 £2.01

-15.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.85 £1.39

2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.43 £4.08

$7.62 £5.72

-28.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 £5.07

$6.78 £5.09

-0.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.24

$1.83 £1.37

-9.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 £1.27

$1.74 £1.30

-2.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 £1.49

$2.62 £1.96

-24.43%

Eggs

$3.93 £2.95

$4.88 £3.66

-19.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 £6.93

$9.51 £7.13

-2.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.29 £6.97

$9.56 £7.17

-2.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 £12.62

$16.02 £12.02

4.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 £2.24

$3.03 £2.28

-1.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.12

$1.37 £1.03

8.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 £2.17

$3.24 £2.43

-10.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 £2.42

$3.55 £2.66

-9.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.66 £1.25

18.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 £1.19

$1.82 £1.37

-12.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 £0.89

$1.25 £0.93

-4.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 £1.23

$1.80 £1.35

-8.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.68 £17.76

$23.41 £17.56

1.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 £8.35

$13.22 £9.92

-15.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.54

$3.21 £2.41

5.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 £2.58

$4.14 £3.11

-16.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.05

$4.58 £3.43

-11.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 £77.5

$97.1 £72.8

6.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 £4.52

$5.51 £4.13

9.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 £0.87

$2.59 £1.94

-55.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.0 £46.48

$25.48 £19.11

143.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 £1.62

$2.08 £1.56

3.37%

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

$39.3K £29.5K

$38.9K £29.2K

0.87%

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

$39.7K £29.8K

$40.4K £30.3K

-1.76%

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

$315 £236

$381 £286

-17.44%

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

$20.19 £15.15

$18.84 £14.13

7.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.28 £32.47

$43.29 £32.48

-0.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.26 £34.71

$50.6 £37.94

-8.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.34 £15.26

Cinema Ticket

$16.23 £12.17

$17.03 £12.78

-4.70%

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

$905 £679

$2,581 £1,936

-64.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K £16.2K

$35.1K £26.4K

-38.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 £102

$90.0 £67.6

50.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 £34.75

$46.87 £35.16

-1.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.9

$91.7 £68.8

17.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 £69.9

$130 £97.3

-28.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 £1,013

$1,852 £1,389

-27.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 £778

$1,201 £901

-13.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,680 £2,011

$3,269 £2,452

-18.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 £1,456

$2,259 £1,695

-14.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,064 £3,049

$5,605 £4,205

-27.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,073 £2,306

$3,693 £2,770

-16.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,420 £2,566

$2,863 £2,148

19.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

-4.20%

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

Last update for Glasgow: October 19, 2026

Last update for Romford: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Glasgow

$1K 42.8%

Romford

$1.2K 44.4% 15.9% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Glasgow

$378 15.6%

Romford

$443 16.4% 17.2% $65

Eating Out

Glasgow

$315 13%

Romford

$352 13% 11.8% $37

Groceries & Markets

Glasgow

$313 12.9%

Romford

$330 12.2% 5.5% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Glasgow

$172 7.1%

Romford

$161 6% 6.4% $11

Getting Around

Glasgow

$131 5.4%

Romford

$134 5% 1.8% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Glasgow

$79 3.3%

Romford

$85 3.1% 7.5% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,350 in Glasgow versus $1,852 in Romford. 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 19% 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 $108 in Romford. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $313 vs $330 – making Glasgow the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Glasgow

🇬🇧 Romford

🕒 Local time

07:17 7:17 AM

Same time as Glasgow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

606,340

95,894

💱 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 Romford 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Glasgow
Romford

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 Romford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,425 in Glasgow, $2,706 in Romford – roughly 12% 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 $4,059 in Romford. 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 $2,581 in Romford. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Romford, 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 Glasgow, where all-in costs run around $2,425, than in Romford at $2,706. In Glasgow it covers expenses comfortably, while in Romford 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 $2,706 in Romford. 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, Romford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.