Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Sunderland

For one person, living is cheaper in Sunderland: $1,845 a month against $2,425 in Glasgow, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 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
89

Cost of Living Index in Sunderland
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Sunderland Living Index

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Glasgow

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,425

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Sunderland

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$1,845

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Glasgow and in Sunderland

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

A single person spends $2,425 per month in Glasgow vs $1,845 in Sunderland, rent included.

Glasgow $2,425
Sunderland $1,845

A couple spends around $3,644 per month in Glasgow vs $2,755 in Sunderland, rent included.

Glasgow $3,644
Sunderland $2,755

A family of three spends $4,864 per month in Glasgow vs $3,665 in Sunderland, rent included.

Glasgow $4,864
Sunderland $3,665

Glasgow costs about 31% more than Sunderland, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Glasgow and Sunderland sit above the global median – Glasgow by 79%, Sunderland by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.03 £15.78

$18.54 £13.91

13.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 £50.1

$70.2 £52.7

-5.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 £7.92

$8.87 £6.66

19.05%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.59

$5.02 £3.77

-4.78%

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

$2.27 £1.70

$2.32 £1.74

-2.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.96 £1.47

-3.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.43 £4.08

$4.63 £3.48

17.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 £5.07

$4.30 £3.23

57.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.24

$1.44 £1.08

14.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 £1.27

$1.37 £1.03

23.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 £1.49

$2.40 £1.80

-17.50%

Eggs

$3.93 £2.95

$3.52 £2.64

11.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 £6.93

$9.72 £7.29

-4.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.29 £6.97

$8.99 £6.74

3.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 £12.62

$14.35 £10.76

17.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 £2.24

$3.26 £2.44

-8.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.12

$1.85 £1.39

-19.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 £2.17

$2.92 £2.19

-1.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 £2.42

$3.79 £2.84

-15.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.79 £1.34

10.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 £1.19

$1.48 £1.11

7.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 £0.89

$1.20 £0.90

-0.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 £1.23

$1.50 £1.13

9.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.68 £17.76

$22.99 £17.25

3.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 £8.35

$10.19 £7.65

9.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.54

$3.57 £2.68

-5.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 £2.58

$3.49 £2.62

-1.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.07 £3.05

$2.08 £1.56

95.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 £77.5

$119 £89.6

-13.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 £4.52

$4.40 £3.30

37.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 £0.87

$1.55 £1.16

-25.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.0 £46.48

$28.14 £21.11

120.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 £1.62

$2.09 £1.57

2.87%

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

$39.3K £29.5K

$38.3K £28.8K

2.41%

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

$39.7K £29.8K

$40.5K £30.4K

-2.04%

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

$315 £236

$248 £186

26.89%

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

$20.19 £15.15

$16.93 £12.70

19.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.28 £32.47

$42.31 £31.74

2.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.26 £34.71

$40.70 £30.53

13.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.34 £15.26

$12.01 £9.01

69.36%

Cinema Ticket

$16.23 £12.17

$10.66 £8.00

52.25%

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

$905 £679

$819 £614

10.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K £16.2K

$17.6K £13.2K

22.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 £102

$91.1 £68.4

48.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 £34.75

$47.14 £35.37

-1.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.9

$109 £81.4

-0.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 £69.9

$94.7 £71.1

-1.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 £1,013

$792 £594

70.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 £778

$595 £446

74.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,680 £2,011

$1,356 £1,017

97.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 £1,456

$957 £718

102.84%

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

$3,663 £2,748

-6.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

5.15

-6.99%

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

Last update for Glasgow: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sunderland: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Glasgow

$1K 42.8%

Sunderland

$595 32.2% 42.6% $442

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Glasgow

$378 15.6%

Sunderland

$307 16.7% 18.8% $71

Eating Out

Glasgow

$315 13%

Sunderland

$284 15.4% 9.7% $31

Groceries & Markets

Glasgow

$313 12.9%

Sunderland

$303 16.4% 3.1% $9.6

Clothing & Footwear

Glasgow

$172 7.1%

Sunderland

$154 8.3% 10.8% $19

Getting Around

Glasgow

$131 5.4%

Sunderland

$140 7.6% 6.5% $8.5

Sport & Entertainment

Glasgow

$79 3.3%

Sunderland

$62 3.4% 21.2% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,350 in Glasgow versus $792 in Sunderland. 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 7% higher in Sunderland, 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 $70.0 in Sunderland. Groceries tell a different story – $313 in Glasgow vs $303 in Sunderland – so Sunderland wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Glasgow

🇬🇧 Sunderland

🕒 Local time

06:22 6:22 AM

Same time as Glasgow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

606,340

275,300

💱 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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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 Sunderland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,425 in Glasgow, $1,845 in Sunderland – roughly 31% 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 $2,768 in Sunderland. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sunderland, 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 $819 in Sunderland. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% 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 Sunderland, where all-in costs run around $1,845, than in Glasgow at $2,425. In Sunderland 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 $1,845 in Sunderland to $2,425 in Glasgow. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Sunderland. 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.