Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oldham and Glasgow

For one person, living is cheaper in Oldham: $1,982 a month against $2,425 in Glasgow, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Oldham
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$1,982
/mo nomad
Glasgow
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,425
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,982 per month in Oldham vs $2,425 in Glasgow, rent included.

  • Oldham $1,982
  • Glasgow $2,425

A couple spends around $2,932 per month in Oldham vs $3,644 in Glasgow, rent included.

  • Oldham $2,932
  • Glasgow $3,644

A family of three spends $3,883 per month in Oldham vs $4,864 in Glasgow, rent included.

  • Oldham $3,883
  • Glasgow $4,864

Oldham is about 18% cheaper than Glasgow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Oldham and Glasgow sit above the global median – Oldham by 46%, Glasgow by 79%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Oldham
Glasgow
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.67 £14.75
$21.03 £15.78
-6.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.1 £66.1
$66.7 £50.1
32.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.56 £7.17
$10.56 £7.92
-9.47%
Cappuccino
$4.79 £3.59
$4.78 £3.59
0.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93 £2.20
$2.27 £1.70
29.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 £1.49
$1.90 £1.42
4.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.24 £5.43
$5.43 £4.08
33.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.74 £5.06
$6.76 £5.07
-0.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Oldham
Glasgow
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 £1.10
$1.65 £1.24
-11.52%
White Bread (500g)
$1.69 £1.27
$1.69 £1.27
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.95 £2.21
$1.98 £1.49
48.99%
Eggs
$4.05 £3.04
$3.93 £2.95
3.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.83 £7.37
$9.24 £6.93
6.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.81 £6.61
$9.29 £6.97
-5.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.54 £11.66
$16.82 £12.62
-7.61%
Apples (1kg)
$3.15 £2.36
$2.99 £2.24
5.35%
Banana (1kg)
$1.86 £1.40
$1.49 £1.12
24.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.85 £2.14
$2.89 £2.17
-1.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.46 £2.59
$3.22 £2.42
7.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.49 £1.11
$1.97 £1.47
-24.37%
Onion (1kg)
$1.60 £1.20
$1.59 £1.19
0.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.20 £0.90
$1.19 £0.89
0.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 £0.92
$1.64 £1.23
-25.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.63 £17.73
$23.68 £17.76
-0.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.86 £8.15
$11.13 £8.35
-2.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.76 £2.07
$3.39 £2.54
-18.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 £2.34
$3.44 £2.58
-9.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Oldham
Glasgow
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.61 £1.96
$4.07 £3.05
-35.87%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$95.7 £71.8
$103 £77.5
-7.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.21 £2.41
$6.03 £4.52
-46.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.02 £1.52
$1.16 £0.87
74.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.03 £22.53
$62.0 £46.48
-51.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.12 £1.59
$2.15 £1.62
-1.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.7K
$39.3K £29.5K
-2.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.8K £29.8K
$39.7K £29.8K
0.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oldham
Glasgow
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$251 £188
$315 £236
-20.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.94 £12.71
$20.19 £15.15
-16.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.55 £30.43
$43.28 £32.47
-6.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Oldham
Glasgow
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.14 £32.36
$46.26 £34.71
-6.74%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$20.34 £15.26
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.18 £9.89
$16.23 £12.17
-18.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Oldham
Glasgow
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,290 £968
$905 £679
42.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.7K £14.8K
$21.6K £16.2K
-8.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Oldham
Glasgow
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.1 £65.3
$135 £102
-35.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.43 £31.08
$46.32 £34.75
-10.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.5 £70.2
$108 £80.9
-13.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$87.3 £65.5
$93.1 £69.9
-6.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Oldham
Glasgow
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,222 £917
$1,350 £1,013
-9.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$728 £546
$1,036 £778
-29.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,368 £1,026
$2,680 £2,011
-48.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,093 £820
$1,941 £1,456
-43.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,063 £3,798
$4,064 £3,049
24.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,336 £2,503
$3,073 £2,306
8.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Oldham
Glasgow
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,483 £1,863
$3,420 £2,566
-27.39%
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 Oldham: October 17, 2026

Last update for Glasgow: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Oldham
$728
Glasgow
$1K 42.4% $308
Eating Out
Oldham
$313
Glasgow
$315 0.6% $2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oldham
$309
Glasgow
$378 22.5% $70
Groceries & Markets
Oldham
$304
Glasgow
$313 2.9% $8.7
Clothing & Footwear
Oldham
$139
Glasgow
$172 23.7% $33
Getting Around
Oldham
$119
Glasgow
$131 10.1% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Oldham
$70
Glasgow
$79 13.3% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,222 in Oldham versus $1,350 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 38% 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 $88.0 in Oldham versus $67.0 in Glasgow. Groceries tell a different story – $304 in Oldham vs $313 in Glasgow – so Oldham wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Oldham
🇬🇧 Glasgow
🕒 Local time
10:54 10:54 AM
10:54 10:54 AM
Same time as Oldham
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
110,718
606,340
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 21, 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
  • Oldham Glasgow 290 km
From you
  • Oldham
  • 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
Oldham vs Glasgow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Oldham and in Glasgow compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,982 in Oldham, $2,425 in Glasgow – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Oldham compared to Glasgow?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,972 per month in Oldham and $3,637 in Glasgow. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Oldham and Glasgow?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Oldham, 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 Oldham and Glasgow?
Kindergarten costs $1,290 per month in Oldham and $905 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?
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.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Oldham, where all-in costs run around $1,982, than in Glasgow at $2,425. In Oldham it covers expenses comfortably, while in Glasgow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Oldham and Glasgow?
It depends on your priorities. Glasgow has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,982 in Oldham to $2,425 in Glasgow. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Oldham and Glasgow?
If budget matters most, go with Oldham. 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.

Oldham vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

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