Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilford and Glasgow

For one person, living costs are similar in Ilford and in Glasgow: $2,414 and $2,425 a month, rent and utilities included.

117

Cost of Living Index in Ilford
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Ilford Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Glasgow
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Glasgow Living Index

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Ilford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,414

/mo nomad

Glasgow

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,425

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ilford and in Glasgow

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ilford and in Glasgow actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,414 per month in Ilford vs $2,425 in Glasgow, rent included.

Ilford $2,414
Glasgow $2,425

A couple spends around $3,764 per month in Ilford vs $3,641 in Glasgow, rent included.

Ilford $3,764
Glasgow $3,641

A family of three spends $5,115 per month in Ilford vs $4,856 in Glasgow, rent included.

Ilford $5,115
Glasgow $4,856

Ilford and Glasgow have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Ilford and Glasgow sit above the global median – Ilford by 79%, Glasgow by 80%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.28 £15.97

$21.32 £15.99

-0.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 £70.5

$71.5 £53.6

31.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 £7.89

$10.42 £7.82

0.86%

Cappuccino

$4.60 £3.45

$4.81 £3.61

-4.37%

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

$2.81 £2.11

$2.15 £1.61

30.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.38

$1.80 £1.35

1.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 £5.93

$5.32 £3.99

48.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.43 £4.82

$6.52 £4.89

-1.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 £1.23

$1.62 £1.22

1.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 £1.29

$1.61 £1.21

6.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 £1.72

$1.96 £1.47

17.35%

Eggs

$4.60 £3.45

$3.80 £2.85

21.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 £7.09

$9.22 £6.92

2.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 £7.21

$9.03 £6.78

6.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.45 £11.59

$16.68 £12.52

-7.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 £2.21

$3.10 £2.33

-5.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 £1.06

$1.56 £1.17

-9.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 £2.22

$2.94 £2.21

0.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.28 £2.46

$3.19 £2.40

2.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.25

$1.98 £1.48

-15.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 £1.33

$1.61 £1.21

9.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 £0.96

$1.15 £0.86

11.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 £1.33

$1.58 £1.19

12.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.20 £16.65

$23.19 £17.40

-4.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.16

$10.88 £8.17

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 £2.28

$3.22 £2.42

-5.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 £2.94

$3.38 £2.54

15.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 £2.57

$4.31 £3.23

-20.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.6 £73.3

$103 £77.4

-5.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 £4.05

$5.66 £4.25

-4.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 £1.96

$1.13 £0.85

130.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.45 £19.09

$60.4 £45.34

-57.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 £1.58

$2.14 £1.60

-1.40%

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

$38.9K £29.2K

$38.6K £28.9K

1.01%

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

$40.9K £30.7K

$40.5K £30.4K

1.16%

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

$334 £250

$313 £235

6.61%

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

$18.31 £13.74

$20.21 £15.16

-9.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.86 £30.65

$41.75 £31.32

-2.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.93 £33.70

$45.71 £34.29

-1.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.00 £15.00

Cinema Ticket

$17.09 £12.82

$15.76 £11.82

8.44%

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

$2,535 £1,902

$903 £677

180.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.1K £26.3K

$21.7K £16.3K

61.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 £66.0

$133 £99.7

-33.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.25 £34.69

$46.40 £34.81

-0.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 £69.8

$107 £80.0

-12.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 £72.1

$89.3 £67.0

7.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 £1,013

$1,317 £988

2.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 £768

$1,050 £787

-2.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,960 £2,221

$2,746 £2,060

7.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,099 £1,575

$1,931 £1,448

8.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,983 £3,739

$4,110 £3,083

21.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,831 £2,874

$3,011 £2,259

27.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,485 £2,615

$3,323 £2,493

4.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.04

4.79

5.22%

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

Last update for Ilford: October 10, 2026

Last update for Glasgow: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ilford

$1K 42.4%

Glasgow

$1K 43.3% 2.6% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ilford

$393 16.3%

Glasgow

$375 15.5% 4.6% $18

Eating Out

Ilford

$328 13.6%

Glasgow

$315 13% 4% $13

Groceries & Markets

Ilford

$315 13.1%

Glasgow

$308 12.7% 2.2% $6.9

Clothing & Footwear

Ilford

$146 6%

Glasgow

$169 7% 16.1% $23

Getting Around

Ilford

$130 5.4%

Glasgow

$132 5.4% 1.5% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Ilford

$79 3.3%

Glasgow

$77 3.2% 2.4% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,350 in Ilford versus $1,317 in Glasgow. 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 5% higher in Ilford. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94.0 in Ilford versus $71.0 in Glasgow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $315 vs $308 – making Glasgow the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Ilford

🇬🇧 Glasgow

🕒 Local time

00:08 12:08 AM

Same time as Ilford

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

168,168

606,340

💱 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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Between locations

Ilford Glasgow 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ilford
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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

Ilford vs Glasgow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,620 per month in Ilford and $3,638 in Glasgow. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Glasgow – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

Kindergarten costs $2,535 per month in Ilford and $903 in Glasgow. 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 Ilford, where all-in costs run around $2,414, than in Glasgow at $2,425. In Ilford 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 $2,414 in Ilford 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 Ilford. 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.