Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Scarborough

For one person, living is cheaper in Scarborough: $2,130 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
103

Cost of Living Index in Scarborough
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Scarborough Living Index

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Glasgow

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,425

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Scarborough

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,130

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Glasgow and in Scarborough

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

A single person spends $2,425 per month in Glasgow vs $2,130 in Scarborough, rent included.

Glasgow $2,425
Scarborough $2,130

A couple spends around $3,644 per month in Glasgow vs $3,096 in Scarborough, rent included.

Glasgow $3,644
Scarborough $3,096

A family of three spends $4,864 per month in Glasgow vs $4,062 in Scarborough, rent included.

Glasgow $4,864
Scarborough $4,062

Glasgow costs about 14% more than Scarborough, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.03 £15.78

$15.36 £11.53

36.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 £50.1

$71.1 £53.4

-6.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 £7.92

$12.12 £9.09

-12.87%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.59

$3.51 £2.63

36.18%

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

$2.27 £1.70

$2.05 £1.53

10.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.02 £0.77

86.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.43 £4.08

$4.58 £3.44

18.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 £5.07

$4.29 £3.22

57.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.24

$1.29 £0.97

27.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 £1.27

$1.37 £1.03

23.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 £1.49

$1.08 £0.81

83.33%

Eggs

$3.93 £2.95

$3.60 £2.70

9.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 £6.93

$7.92 £5.94

16.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.29 £6.97

$7.18 £5.39

29.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 £12.62

$13.94 £10.46

20.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 £2.24

$3.13 £2.35

-4.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.12

$1.99 £1.49

-25.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 £2.17

$2.65 £1.99

9.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 £2.42

$2.09 £1.57

54.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.74 £1.30

13.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 £1.19

$1.62 £1.21

-1.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 £0.89

$1.15 £0.87

3.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 £1.23

$1.91 £1.43

-14.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.68 £17.76

$22.58 £16.94

4.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 £8.35

$9.59 £7.19

16.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.54

$3.65 £2.74

-7.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 £2.58

$3.60 £2.70

-4.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.05

$3.30 £2.48

23.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 £77.5

$86.0 £64.5

20.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 £4.52

$5.73 £4.30

5.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 £0.87

$4.97 £3.73

-76.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.0 £46.48

$33.58 £25.19

84.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 £1.62

$1.98 £1.48

8.59%

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

$39.3K £29.5K

$36.0K £27.0K

9.16%

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

$39.7K £29.8K

$39.9K £29.9K

-0.62%

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

$315 £236

$356 £267

-11.64%

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

$20.19 £15.15

$25.99 £19.50

-22.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.28 £32.47

$32.74 £24.56

32.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.26 £34.71

$66.1 £49.59

-30.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.34 £15.26

$12.67 £9.50

60.54%

Cinema Ticket

$16.23 £12.17

$10.66 £7.99

52.25%

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

$905 £679

$1,804 £1,353

-49.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K £16.2K

$14.7K £11.1K

46.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 £102

$66.3 £49.73

104.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 £34.75

$35.54 £26.66

30.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.9

$108 £81.3

-0.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 £69.9

$114 £85.2

-17.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 £1,013

$867 £651

55.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 £778

$831 £624

24.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,680 £2,011

$1,524 £1,143

75.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 £1,456

$1,365 £1,024

42.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,064 £3,049

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,073 £2,306

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,420 £2,566

$910 £683

275.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

5.53

-13.38%

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

Last update for Glasgow: October 19, 2026

Last update for Scarborough: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Glasgow

$1K 42.8%

Scarborough

$831 39% 19.8% $205

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Glasgow

$378 15.6%

Scarborough

$415 19.5% 9.7% $37

Eating Out

Glasgow

$315 13%

Scarborough

$245 11.5% 22.1% $70

Groceries & Markets

Glasgow

$313 12.9%

Scarborough

$276 13% 11.8% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Glasgow

$172 7.1%

Scarborough

$146 6.8% 15.4% $27

Getting Around

Glasgow

$131 5.4%

Scarborough

$130 6.1% 1.2% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Glasgow

$79 3.3%

Scarborough

$87 4.1% 11.1% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,350 in Glasgow versus $867 in Scarborough. 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 276% 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 $71.0 in Scarborough. Groceries tell a different story – $313 in Glasgow vs $276 in Scarborough – so Scarborough wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Glasgow

🇬🇧 Scarborough

🕒 Local time

06:42 6:42 AM

Same time as Glasgow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

606,340

61,749

💱 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 Scarborough 300 km

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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 Scarborough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,425 in Glasgow, $2,130 in Scarborough – roughly 14% 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 $3,195 in Scarborough. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Scarborough, 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 $1,804 in Scarborough. 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 Scarborough, where all-in costs run around $2,130, than in Glasgow at $2,425. In Scarborough 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 $2,130 in Scarborough 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 Scarborough. 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.