Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Glarus

For one person, living is cheaper in Glarus: $3,297 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in London outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,986
/mo nomad
Glarus
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,297
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Glarus

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

A single person spends $3,986 per month in London vs $3,297 in Glarus, rent included.

  • London $3,986
  • Glarus $3,297

A couple spends around $5,791 per month in London vs $4,996 in Glarus, rent included.

  • London $5,791
  • Glarus $4,996

A family of three spends $7,595 per month in London vs $6,696 in Glarus, rent included.

  • London $7,595
  • Glarus $6,696

London costs about 21% more than Glarus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both London and Glarus sit above the global median – London by 195%, Glarus by 144%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Glarus
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.93 £19.45
$29.24 CHF 24.08
-11.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$107 £79.9
$122 CHF 100
-12.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 £8.03
$17.09 CHF 14.07
-37.33%
Cappuccino
$5.47 £4.11
$5.88 CHF 4.84
-6.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 £2.23
$3.76 CHF 3.10
-21.01%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 £1.65
$3.82 CHF 3.15
-42.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.13 £6.85
$9.11 CHF 7.50
0.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.94 £5.96
$6.26 CHF 5.15
26.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Glarus
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.86 £1.40
$2.20 CHF 1.81
-15.45%
White Bread (500g)
$2.07 £1.55
$3.14 CHF 2.58
-34.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.42 £1.81
$2.82 CHF 2.32
-14.18%
Eggs
$5.09 £3.82
$7.70 CHF 6.34
-33.90%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.87 £9.66
$8.58 CHF 7.06
50.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.43 £7.82
$14.56 CHF 11.99
-28.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.87 £12.66
$37.65 CHF 31.01
-55.19%
Apples (1kg)
$3.11 £2.33
$3.04 CHF 2.51
2.30%
Banana (1kg)
$1.40 £1.05
$1.55 CHF 1.27
-9.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.08 £2.31
$2.40 CHF 1.98
28.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.27 £2.45
$5.41 CHF 4.46
-39.56%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 £1.19
$1.64 CHF 1.35
-3.66%
Onion (1kg)
$1.74 £1.31
$2.09 CHF 1.72
-16.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 £1.05
$2.19 CHF 1.80
-36.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 £1.35
$1.18 CHF 0.97
52.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.28 £17.46
$11.00 CHF 9.06
111.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 £9.77
$11.23 CHF 9.25
16.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.17 £2.38
$2.15 CHF 1.77
47.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42 £3.32
$2.32 CHF 1.91
90.52%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Glarus
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.07 £3.05
$5.89 CHF 4.85
-30.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$247 £185
$221 CHF 182
11.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.58 £4.18
$6.50 CHF 5.36
-14.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.36 £2.52
$4.71 CHF 3.88
-28.66%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$56.8 £42.58
$77.2 CHF 63.6
-26.49%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 £1.60
$2.18 CHF 1.79
-2.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.6K
$34.3K CHF 28.3K
11.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.9K £30.7K
$39.6K CHF 32.6K
3.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Glarus
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$372 £279
$311 CHF 256
19.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.82 £13.37
$38.06 CHF 31.35
-53.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.37 £30.29
$53.5 CHF 44.03
-24.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Glarus
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.0 £44.99
$160 CHF 132
-62.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.29 £15.97
$41.77 CHF 34.40
-49.03%
Cinema Ticket
$17.74 £13.31
$25.57 CHF 21.06
-30.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Glarus
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,864 £2,149
$2,254 CHF 1,857
27.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.3K £26.5K
$31.7K CHF 26.1K
11.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Glarus
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$114 £85.5
$103 CHF 84.5
11.14%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.3 £40.71
$41.84 CHF 34.46
29.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$124 £93.2
$131 CHF 108
-5.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$163 £122
$96.4 CHF 79.4
69.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Glarus
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,869 £2,152
$1,676 CHF 1,380
71.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,233 £1,675
$1,359 CHF 1,120
64.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,266 £3,951
$2,950 CHF 2,430
78.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,778 £2,835
$2,306 CHF 1,899
63.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$18.3K £13.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,024 £6,020
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Glarus
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,037 £3,779
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.74
2.1
125.71%

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

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Last update for Glarus: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.2K
Glarus
$1.4K 39.1% $874
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$430
Glarus
$402 6.5% $28
Eating Out
London
$388
Glarus
$444 14.6% $57
Groceries & Markets
London
$349
Glarus
$438 25.3% $88
Getting Around
London
$285
Glarus
$274 3.9% $11
Clothing & Footwear
London
$205
Glarus
$167 18.3% $38
Sport & Entertainment
London
$95
Glarus
$211 121% $115

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,869 in London versus $1,676 in Glarus. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in London versus $122 in Glarus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $438 – making London the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇨🇭 Glarus
🕒 Local time
10:08 10:08 AM
11:08 11:08 AM
1 h ahead of London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
12,500
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, 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).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Glarus 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • London
  • Glarus

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
London vs Glarus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Glarus cheaper than London?
Yes – London is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,979 per month in London and $4,945 in Glarus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Glarus, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 12% less in Glarus. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $2,864 per month in London and $2,254 in Glarus. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in London or in Glarus?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,986 in London and $3,297 in Glarus. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is London or Glarus more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Glarus – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, London or Glarus?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Glarus. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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