Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manchester and Glasgow

For one person, living costs are similar in Manchester and in Glasgow: $2,544 and $2,425 a month, rent and utilities included.

123

Cost of Living Index in Manchester
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Manchester Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Glasgow
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Glasgow Living Index

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Manchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,544

/mo nomad

Glasgow

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,425

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,544 per month in Manchester vs $2,425 in Glasgow, rent included.

Manchester $2,544
Glasgow $2,425

A couple spends around $3,691 per month in Manchester vs $3,641 in Glasgow, rent included.

Manchester $3,691
Glasgow $3,641

A family of three spends $4,839 per month in Manchester vs $4,856 in Glasgow, rent included.

Manchester $4,839
Glasgow $4,856

Manchester costs about 5% more than Glasgow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Manchester and Glasgow sit above the global median – Manchester by 88%, Glasgow by 80%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.64 £14.74

$21.32 £15.99

-7.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.7 £65.8

$71.5 £53.6

22.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 £7.85

$10.42 £7.82

0.48%

Cappuccino

$4.85 £3.64

$4.81 £3.61

0.83%

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

$2.49 £1.87

$2.15 £1.61

15.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 £1.26

$1.80 £1.35

-6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.75 £5.81

$5.32 £3.99

45.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.72 £5.04

$6.52 £4.89

3.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 £1.07

$1.62 £1.22

-11.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.61 £1.21

20.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.96 £1.47

-4.59%

Eggs

$3.97 £2.98

$3.80 £2.85

4.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.40 £7.05

$9.22 £6.92

1.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 £6.77

$9.03 £6.78

-0.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.39 £11.55

$16.68 £12.52

-7.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.32

$3.10 £2.33

-0.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.19

$1.56 £1.17

1.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 £2.28

$2.94 £2.21

3.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 £2.52

$3.19 £2.40

5.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 £1.17

$1.98 £1.48

-21.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 £1.02

$1.61 £1.21

-15.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 £0.90

$1.15 £0.86

4.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 £0.95

$1.58 £1.19

-19.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.80 £17.85

$23.19 £17.40

2.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.11 £8.34

$10.88 £8.17

2.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 £1.88

$3.22 £2.42

-22.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 £2.34

$3.38 £2.54

-7.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 £2.00

$4.31 £3.23

-38.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 £77.8

$103 £77.4

0.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 £3.39

$5.66 £4.25

-20.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 £1.64

$1.13 £0.85

92.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.56 £22.18

$60.4 £45.34

-51.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 £1.58

$2.14 £1.60

-1.40%

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

$37.5K £28.1K

$38.6K £28.9K

-2.86%

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

$40.3K £30.2K

$40.5K £30.4K

-0.38%

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

$250 £188

$313 £235

-20.04%

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

$16.38 £12.29

$20.21 £15.16

-18.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.35 £30.27

$41.75 £31.32

-3.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 £41.65

$45.71 £34.29

21.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 £13.75

$20.00 £15.00

-8.35%

Cinema Ticket

$13.11 £9.84

$15.76 £11.82

-16.81%

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

$1,240 £930

$903 £677

37.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K £14.6K

$21.7K £16.3K

-10.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.5 £63.4

$133 £99.7

-36.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 £31.05

$46.40 £34.81

-10.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 £68.7

$107 £80.0

-14.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 £77.6

$89.3 £67.0

15.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 £1,371

$1,317 £988

38.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 £950

$1,050 £787

20.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,044 £2,284

$2,746 £2,060

10.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 £1,488

$1,931 £1,448

2.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,537 £3,403

$4,110 £3,083

10.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,324 £3,244

$3,011 £2,259

43.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,329 £2,498

$3,323 £2,493

0.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.82

4.79

0.63%

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

Last update for Manchester: October 12, 2026

Last update for Glasgow: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manchester

$1.3K 49.8%

Glasgow

$1K 43.3% 17.1% $217

Eating Out

Manchester

$316 12.4%

Glasgow

$315 13% 0.2% $0.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manchester

$307 12.1%

Glasgow

$375 15.5% 22.1% $68

Groceries & Markets

Manchester

$299 11.8%

Glasgow

$308 12.7% 3.2% $9.4

Clothing & Footwear

Manchester

$144 5.7%

Glasgow

$169 7% 16.9% $24

Getting Around

Manchester

$130 5.1%

Glasgow

$132 5.4% 1.5% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Manchester

$82 3.2%

Glasgow

$77 3.2% 5.5% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,827 in Manchester 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 Manchester, 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 $88.0 in Manchester versus $71.0 in Glasgow. Groceries tell a different story – $299 in Manchester vs $308 in Glasgow – so Manchester wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Manchester

🇬🇧 Glasgow

🕒 Local time

13:50 1:50 PM

Same time as Manchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,100

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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manchester Glasgow 290 km

From you

Manchester
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

Manchester vs Glasgow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,544 in Manchester, $2,425 in Glasgow – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,816 per month in Manchester 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 Glasgow, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,240 per month in Manchester and $903 in Glasgow. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Manchester – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Glasgow, where all-in costs run around $2,425, than in Manchester at $2,544. In Glasgow it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manchester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Manchester has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,425 in Glasgow to $2,544 in Manchester. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Glasgow. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manchester makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.