Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leeds and Glasgow

For one person, living is cheaper in Leeds: $2,248 a month against $2,425 in Glasgow, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Leeds
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,248
/mo nomad
Glasgow
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,425
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Leeds 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 Leeds and in Glasgow actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,248 per month in Leeds vs $2,425 in Glasgow, rent included.

  • Leeds $2,248
  • Glasgow $2,425

A couple spends around $3,372 per month in Leeds vs $3,641 in Glasgow, rent included.

  • Leeds $3,372
  • Glasgow $3,641

A family of three spends $4,497 per month in Leeds vs $4,856 in Glasgow, rent included.

  • Leeds $4,497
  • Glasgow $4,856

Leeds is about 7% cheaper than Glasgow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Leeds and Glasgow sit above the global median – Leeds by 66%, Glasgow by 80%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Leeds
Glasgow
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.65 £15.49
$21.32 £15.99
-3.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.2 £58.0
$71.5 £53.6
8.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.36 £7.02
$10.42 £7.82
-10.17%
Cappuccino
$5.09 £3.82
$4.81 £3.61
5.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 £2.76
$2.15 £1.61
71.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.65 £1.99
$1.80 £1.35
47.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.43 £5.58
$5.32 £3.99
39.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.14 £6.10
$6.52 £4.89
24.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Leeds
Glasgow
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.60 £1.20
$1.62 £1.22
-1.23%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 £1.09
$1.61 £1.21
-9.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 £2.10
$1.96 £1.47
42.86%
Eggs
$4.22 £3.17
$3.80 £2.85
11.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 £8.23
$9.22 £6.92
18.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.74 £6.56
$9.03 £6.78
-3.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.50 £11.63
$16.68 £12.52
-7.07%
Apples (1kg)
$3.04 £2.28
$3.10 £2.33
-1.94%
Banana (1kg)
$1.91 £1.43
$1.56 £1.17
22.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.71 £2.03
$2.94 £2.21
-7.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.48 £2.61
$3.19 £2.40
9.09%
Potato (1kg)
$1.67 £1.25
$1.98 £1.48
-15.66%
Onion (1kg)
$1.72 £1.29
$1.61 £1.21
6.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 £1.02
$1.15 £0.86
18.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 £1.19
$1.58 £1.19
0.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.09 £15.07
$23.19 £17.40
-13.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.40 £7.80
$10.88 £8.17
-4.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.88 £2.16
$3.22 £2.42
-10.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.06 £2.30
$3.38 £2.54
-9.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Leeds
Glasgow
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.32 £2.49
$4.31 £3.23
-22.97%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$122 £91.5
$103 £77.4
18.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.19 £2.40
$5.66 £4.25
-43.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.00 £1.50
$1.13 £0.85
76.99%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.71 £13.29
$60.4 £45.34
-70.69%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.05 £1.54
$2.14 £1.60
-4.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.6K
$38.6K £28.9K
-0.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.1K £30.1K
$40.5K £30.4K
-0.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Leeds
Glasgow
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$248 £186
$313 £235
-20.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.82 £12.62
$20.21 £15.16
-16.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.74 £30.56
$41.75 £31.32
-2.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Leeds
Glasgow
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.53 £31.16
$45.71 £34.29
-9.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.58 £17.69
$20.00 £15.00
17.90%
Cinema Ticket
$13.44 £10.09
$15.76 £11.82
-14.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Leeds
Glasgow
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,847 £1,386
$903 £677
104.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.8K £16.4K
$21.7K £16.3K
0.70%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Leeds
Glasgow
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.0 £66.8
$133 £99.7
-33.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.94 £35.22
$46.40 £34.81
1.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.3 £67.0
$107 £80.0
-16.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.4 £64.1
$89.3 £67.0
-4.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Leeds
Glasgow
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,215 £911
$1,317 £988
-7.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$942 £706
$1,050 £787
-10.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,317 £1,738
$2,746 £2,060
-15.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,627 £1,221
$1,931 £1,448
-15.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,729 £2,798
$4,110 £3,083
-9.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,540 £2,656
$3,011 £2,259
17.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Leeds
Glasgow
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,316 £2,488
$3,323 £2,493
-0.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.99
4.79
4.18%

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

Last update for Leeds: October 13, 2026

Last update for Glasgow: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Leeds
$942
Glasgow
$1K 11.5% $108
Eating Out
Leeds
$333
Glasgow
$315 5.5% $18
Groceries & Markets
Leeds
$311
Glasgow
$308 0.9% $2.7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Leeds
$305
Glasgow
$375 22.8% $70
Getting Around
Leeds
$148
Glasgow
$132 11.3% $17
Clothing & Footwear
Leeds
$140
Glasgow
$169 20.8% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Leeds
$68
Glasgow
$77 12.9% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,215 in Leeds 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 0% 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 $77.0 in Leeds versus $71.0 in Glasgow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $311 vs $308 – making Glasgow the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Leeds
🇬🇧 Glasgow
🕒 Local time
20:24 8:24 PM
20:24 8:24 PM
Same time as Leeds
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
766,399
606,340
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 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
  • Leeds Glasgow 290 km
From you
  • Leeds
  • Glasgow

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
Leeds vs Glasgow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Leeds and in Glasgow compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,248 in Leeds, $2,425 in Glasgow – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Leeds compared to Glasgow?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,371 per month in Leeds and $3,638 in Glasgow. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Leeds and Glasgow?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Leeds, 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 Leeds and Glasgow?
Kindergarten costs $1,847 per month in Leeds and $903 in Glasgow. 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 1% 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 $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Leeds, where all-in costs run around $2,248, than in Glasgow at $2,425. In Leeds it covers expenses comfortably, while in Glasgow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Leeds and Glasgow?
It depends on your priorities. Leeds has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,248 in Leeds to $2,425 in Glasgow. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Leeds and Glasgow?
If budget matters most, go with Leeds. 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.

Leeds vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?