Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Southwark

For one person, living is cheaper in Southwark: $1,486 a month against $2,425 in Glasgow, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Glasgow outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Glasgow
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,425
/mo nomad
Southwark
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$1,486
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Glasgow and in Southwark

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

A single person spends $2,425 per month in Glasgow vs $1,486 in Southwark, rent included.

  • Glasgow $2,425
  • Southwark $1,486

A couple spends around $3,644 per month in Glasgow vs $4,262 in Southwark, rent included.

  • Glasgow $3,644
  • Southwark $4,262

A family of three spends $4,864 per month in Glasgow vs $7,038 in Southwark, rent included.

  • Glasgow $4,864
  • Southwark $7,038

Glasgow costs about 63% more than Southwark, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Glasgow and Southwark sit above the global median – Glasgow by 79%, Southwark by 10%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Glasgow
Southwark
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.03 £15.78
$25.00 £18.76
-15.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.7 £50.1
$101 £75.6
-33.80%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.56 £7.92
$10.67 £8.00
-1.03%
Cappuccino
$4.78 £3.59
$5.70 £4.28
-16.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 £1.70
$3.05 £2.29
-25.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.90 £1.42
$2.60 £1.95
-26.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.43 £4.08
$9.29 £6.97
-41.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.76 £5.07
$8.28 £6.21
-18.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Glasgow
Southwark
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.65 £1.24
$1.92 £1.44
-14.06%
White Bread (500g)
$1.69 £1.27
$2.05 £1.54
-17.56%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.98 £1.49
$2.20 £1.65
-10.00%
Eggs
$3.93 £2.95
$4.38 £3.29
-10.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.24 £6.93
$11.90 £8.93
-22.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.29 £6.97
$9.07 £6.80
2.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.82 £12.62
$15.57 £11.68
8.03%
Apples (1kg)
$2.99 £2.24
$3.05 £2.29
-1.97%
Banana (1kg)
$1.49 £1.12
$1.44 £1.08
3.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.89 £2.17
$2.98 £2.24
-3.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.22 £2.42
$3.52 £2.64
-8.52%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 £1.47
$1.66 £1.25
18.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 £1.19
$1.79 £1.34
-11.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 £0.89
$1.36 £1.02
-12.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 £1.23
$1.86 £1.39
-11.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.68 £17.76
$23.44 £17.59
1.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.13 £8.35
$12.16 £9.12
-8.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.39 £2.54
$3.05 £2.29
11.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 £2.58
$3.22 £2.42
6.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Glasgow
Southwark
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.07 £3.05
$3.89 £2.92
4.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$103 £77.5
$157 £118
-34.15%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.03 £4.52
$4.97 £3.73
21.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.16 £0.87
$2.72 £2.04
-57.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$62.0 £46.48
$39.66 £29.75
56.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.15 £1.62
$2.15 £1.62
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.3K £29.5K
$37.9K £28.4K
3.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.7K £29.8K
$39.9K £30.0K
-0.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Glasgow
Southwark
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$315 £236
$335 £251
-5.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.19 £15.15
$18.37 £13.78
9.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.28 £32.47
$40.35 £30.27
7.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Glasgow
Southwark
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.26 £34.71
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.34 £15.26
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$16.23 £12.17
$18.05 £13.54
-10.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Glasgow
Southwark
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$905 £679
$2,557 £1,919
-64.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.6K £16.2K
$30.4K £22.8K
-28.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Glasgow
Southwark
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$135 £102
$93.1 £69.9
45.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.32 £34.75
$46.53 £34.91
-0.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 £80.9
$103 £77.5
4.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.1 £69.9
$90.0 £67.5
3.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Glasgow
Southwark
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,350 £1,013
$2,307 £1,731
-41.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,036 £778
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,680 £2,011
$5,586 £4,190
-52.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,941 £1,456
$3,792 £2,844
-48.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,064 £3,049
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,073 £2,306
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Glasgow
Southwark
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,420 £2,566
$4,185 £3,140
-18.28%
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 Southwark: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Glasgow
$1K
Southwark
- * 100%
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Glasgow
$378
Southwark
$393 4% $15
Eating Out
Glasgow
$315
Southwark
$386 22.7% $71
Groceries & Markets
Glasgow
$313
Southwark
$329 5.3% $17
Clothing & Footwear
Glasgow
$172
Southwark
$150 13% $22
Getting Around
Glasgow
$131
Southwark
$191 45.4% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Glasgow
$79
Southwark
$36 * 54.1% $43

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 $2,307 in Southwark. 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 22% higher in Southwark, 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 $101 in Southwark. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $313 vs $329 – making Glasgow the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Glasgow
🇬🇧 Southwark
🕒 Local time
15:17 3:17 PM
15:17 3:17 PM
Same time as Glasgow
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
606,340
71,552
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Glasgow Southwark 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Glasgow
  • Southwark

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 Southwark: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Glasgow and in Southwark compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,425 in Glasgow, $1,486 in Southwark – roughly 63% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Glasgow compared to Southwark?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,637 per month in Glasgow and $2,229 in Southwark. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Glasgow and Southwark?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Southwark, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Glasgow and Southwark?
Kindergarten costs $905 per month in Glasgow and $2,557 in Southwark. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Glasgow – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Southwark, where all-in costs run around $1,486, than in Glasgow at $2,425. In Southwark it covers expenses comfortably, while in Glasgow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Glasgow and Southwark?
It depends on your priorities. Glasgow has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,486 in Southwark to $2,425 in Glasgow. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Glasgow and Southwark?
If budget matters most, go with Southwark. 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.

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