Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oxford and Glasgow

For one person, living is cheaper in Glasgow: $2,425 a month against $3,210 in Oxford, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Oxford, United Kingdom
Glasgow, United Kingdom
Oxford
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,210
/mo nomad
Glasgow
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,425
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,210 per month in Oxford vs $2,425 in Glasgow, rent included.

  • Oxford $3,210
  • Glasgow $2,425

A couple spends around $4,477 per month in Oxford vs $3,706 in Glasgow, rent included.

  • Oxford $4,477
  • Glasgow $3,706

A family of three spends $5,743 per month in Oxford vs $4,987 in Glasgow, rent included.

  • Oxford $5,743
  • Glasgow $4,987

Oxford costs about 32% more than Glasgow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Oxford and Glasgow sit above the global median – Oxford by 136%, Glasgow by 78%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Oxford
Glasgow
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.95 £18.61
$21.28 £15.87
17.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$104 £77.5
$67.2 £50.1
54.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.60 £7.90
$10.58 £7.88
0.19%
Cappuccino
$4.94 £3.68
$4.81 £3.59
2.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.46 £3.32
$2.26 £1.68
97.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 £1.64
$1.83 £1.36
19.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.04 £6.74
$5.48 £4.09
64.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.55 £6.38
$6.63 £4.95
28.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Oxford
Glasgow
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 £1.26
$1.67 £1.24
1.20%
White Bread (500g)
$1.70 £1.26
$1.64 £1.22
3.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 £1.47
$2.00 £1.49
-1.50%
Eggs
$4.06 £3.03
$4.00 £2.98
1.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.74 £10.25
$9.28 £6.92
48.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.58 £6.40
$9.08 £6.77
-5.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.83 £11.06
$16.75 £12.49
-11.46%
Apples (1kg)
$3.33 £2.49
$3.02 £2.25
10.26%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 £1.26
$1.51 £1.13
12.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.01 £2.24
$2.91 £2.17
3.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.73 £2.78
$3.19 £2.38
16.93%
Potato (1kg)
$1.73 £1.29
$1.93 £1.44
-10.36%
Onion (1kg)
$1.76 £1.31
$1.55 £1.16
13.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.21 £0.90
$1.13 £0.84
7.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 £1.20
$1.58 £1.18
1.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.70 £17.67
$23.96 £17.86
-1.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.30 £8.43
$11.32 £8.44
-0.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.26 £2.43
$3.37 £2.51
-3.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.39 £2.53
$3.33 £2.48
1.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Oxford
Glasgow
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.89 £2.90
$3.98 £2.97
-2.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$110 £81.9
$108 £80.5
1.64%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.98 £3.71
$5.75 £4.29
-13.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.18 £2.37
$1.14 £0.85
178.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$42.14 £31.42
$60.6 £45.19
-30.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.11 £1.57
$2.09 £1.56
0.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.4K £28.7K
$39.3K £29.3K
-2.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.1K £30.7K
$40.6K £30.3K
1.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oxford
Glasgow
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$361 £269
$312 £233
15.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.08 £13.48
$20.29 £15.13
-10.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.18 £32.94
$42.05 £31.35
5.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Oxford
Glasgow
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.85 £31.20
$37.31 £27.82
12.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.49 £8.56
$20.73 £15.46
-44.57%
Cinema Ticket
$16.03 £11.95
$16.26 £12.12
-1.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Oxford
Glasgow
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,254 £1,680
$1,124 £838
100.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.2K £11.4K
$21.6K £16.1K
-29.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Oxford
Glasgow
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$98.8 £73.7
$132 £98.4
-25.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.09 £34.36
$45.81 £34.15
0.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 £76.3
$107 £79.5
-4.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 £77.6
$93.4 £69.6
11.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Oxford
Glasgow
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,187 £1,631
$1,368 £1,020
59.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,706 £1,272
$1,047 £781
62.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,231 £2,409
$2,770 £2,065
16.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,464 £1,837
$2,080 £1,551
18.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,794 £6,556
$4,035 £3,008
117.95%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,600 £4,921
$2,923 £2,179
125.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Oxford
Glasgow
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,032 £3,006
$3,339 £2,489
20.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.79
4.79
-

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

Last update for Oxford: October 25, 2026

Last update for Glasgow: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Oxford
$1.7K
Glasgow
$1K 38.6% $659
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oxford
$423
Glasgow
$375 11.4% $48
Eating Out
Oxford
$380
Glasgow
$317 16.5% $63
Groceries & Markets
Oxford
$323
Glasgow
$311 3.7% $12
Clothing & Footwear
Oxford
$158
Glasgow
$170 7.5% $12
Getting Around
Oxford
$146
Glasgow
$135 7.4% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Oxford
$74
Glasgow
$70 5.5% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,187 in Oxford versus $1,368 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 21% higher in Oxford, 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 $104 in Oxford versus $67 in Glasgow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $311 – making Glasgow the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Oxford
🇬🇧 Glasgow
🕒 Local time
14:57 2:57 PM
14:57 2:57 PM
Same time as Oxford
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
165,000
606,340
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.746 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.832 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

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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
Oxford vs Glasgow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Oxford and in Glasgow compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,210 in Oxford, $2,425 in Glasgow – Glasgow comes out roughly 24% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Oxford compared to Glasgow?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,815 per month in Oxford 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 Oxford and Glasgow?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Glasgow, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,368 there versus $2,187 in Oxford.
Which city is more expensive overall: Oxford or Glasgow?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,210 in Oxford and $2,425 in Glasgow. That makes Glasgow about 24% cheaper.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Oxford and Glasgow?
Kindergarten costs $2,254 per month in Oxford and $1,124 in Glasgow. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Glasgow, where all-in costs run around $2,425, than in Oxford at $3,210. In Glasgow it covers expenses comfortably, while in Oxford it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should digital nomads live: Oxford or Glasgow?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Glasgow costs $2,425 versus $3,210 in Oxford. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How do I decide between Oxford and Glasgow?
If budget matters most, go with Glasgow. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Oxford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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