Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Preston and Glasgow

For one person, living is cheaper in Preston: $2,114 a month against $2,425 in Glasgow, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in Preston
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Preston Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Glasgow
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Glasgow Living Index

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Preston

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,114

/mo nomad

Glasgow

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,425

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,114 per month in Preston vs $2,425 in Glasgow, rent included.

Preston $2,114
Glasgow $2,425

A couple spends around $3,021 per month in Preston vs $3,706 in Glasgow, rent included.

Preston $3,021
Glasgow $3,706

A family of three spends $3,928 per month in Preston vs $4,987 in Glasgow, rent included.

Preston $3,928
Glasgow $4,987

Preston is about 13% cheaper than Glasgow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Preston and Glasgow sit above the global median – Preston by 55%, Glasgow by 78%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.89 £11.85

$21.28 £15.87

-25.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.3 £55.4

$67.2 £50.1

10.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.20 £6.86

$10.58 £7.88

-13.04%

Cappuccino

$4.24 £3.16

$4.81 £3.59

-11.85%

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

$2.31 £1.72

$2.26 £1.68

2.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.36

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.39 £4.02

$5.48 £4.09

-1.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.20 £3.88

$6.63 £4.95

-21.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 £1.11

$1.67 £1.24

-10.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 £1.07

$1.64 £1.22

-12.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 £1.19

$2.00 £1.49

-20.00%

Eggs

$3.59 £2.68

$4.00 £2.98

-10.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.30 £3.95

$9.28 £6.92

-42.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 £7.10

$9.08 £6.77

4.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.68 £9.46

$16.75 £12.49

-24.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 £1.93

$3.02 £2.25

-14.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.51 £1.13

13.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 £1.92

$2.91 £2.17

-11.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 £2.95

$3.19 £2.38

24.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 £1.53

$1.93 £1.44

6.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 £1.68

$1.55 £1.16

45.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 £0.87

$1.13 £0.84

3.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 £1.23

$1.58 £1.18

4.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.56 £16.08

$23.96 £17.86

-10.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.14 £6.81

$11.32 £8.44

-19.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 £2.37

$3.37 £2.51

-5.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 £2.42

$3.33 £2.48

-2.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 £2.92

$3.98 £2.97

-1.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.5 £73.4

$108 £80.5

-8.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 £1.94

$5.75 £4.29

-54.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 £1.57

$1.14 £0.85

84.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.6 £45.19

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.48

$2.09 £1.56

-4.78%

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

$37.9K £28.3K

$39.3K £29.3K

-3.50%

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

$41.1K £30.7K

$40.6K £30.3K

1.25%

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

$439 £327

$312 £233

40.51%

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

$14.86 £11.08

$20.29 £15.13

-26.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.51 £32.44

$42.05 £31.35

3.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.40 £30.87

$37.31 £27.82

10.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 £12.52

$20.73 £15.46

-18.96%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 £13.30

$16.26 £12.12

9.66%

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

$1,512 £1,127

$1,124 £838

34.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,738 £6,515

$21.6K £16.1K

-59.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.7 £56.5

$132 £98.4

-42.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.16 £19.50

$45.81 £34.15

-42.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 £48.75

$107 £79.5

-38.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.4 £49.50

$93.4 £69.6

-28.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$969 £723

$1,368 £1,020

-29.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 £572

$1,047 £781

-26.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 £1,199

$2,770 £2,065

-41.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 £903

$2,080 £1,551

-41.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,634 £2,709

$4,035 £3,008

-9.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,379 £1,774

$2,923 £2,179

-18.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,994 £2,232

$3,339 £2,489

-10.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.93

4.79

2.92%

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

Last update for Preston: October 26, 2026

Last update for Glasgow: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Preston

$767 36.3%

Glasgow

$1K 43.2% 36.5% $280

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Preston

$497 23.5%

Glasgow

$375 15.5% 24.7% $123

Groceries & Markets

Preston

$281 13.3%

Glasgow

$311 12.8% 10.7% $30

Eating Out

Preston

$260 12.3%

Glasgow

$317 13.1% 22.1% $57

Getting Around

Preston

$127 6%

Glasgow

$135 5.6% 6.4% $8.2

Clothing & Footwear

Preston

$105 5%

Glasgow

$170 7% 61.7% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Preston

$77 3.6%

Glasgow

$70 2.9% 9.4% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $969 in Preston 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 12% 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 $74 in Preston versus $67 in Glasgow. Groceries tell a different story – $281 in Preston vs $311 in Glasgow – so Preston wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Preston

🇬🇧 Glasgow

🕒 Local time

13:00 1:00 PM

Same time as Preston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

114,300

606,340

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Preston Glasgow 250 km

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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

Preston vs Glasgow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,114 in Preston, $2,425 in Glasgow – Preston comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,172 per month in Preston and $3,637 in Glasgow. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Preston, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $969 there versus $1,368 in Glasgow.

Kindergarten costs $1,512 per month in Preston and $1,124 in Glasgow. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Glasgow, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Glasgow has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,114 in Preston to $2,425 in Glasgow. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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