Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Andrews and Glasgow

For one person, living is cheaper in St. Andrews: $2,285 a month against $2,425 in Glasgow, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

St. Andrews
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,285
/mo nomad
Glasgow
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,425
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,285 per month in St. Andrews vs $2,425 in Glasgow, rent included.

  • St. Andrews $2,285
  • Glasgow $2,425

A couple spends around $3,891 per month in St. Andrews vs $3,644 in Glasgow, rent included.

  • St. Andrews $3,891
  • Glasgow $3,644

A family of three spends $5,496 per month in St. Andrews vs $4,864 in Glasgow, rent included.

  • St. Andrews $5,496
  • Glasgow $4,864

St. Andrews is about 6% cheaper than Glasgow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both St. Andrews and Glasgow sit above the global median – St. Andrews by 69%, Glasgow by 79%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
St. Andrews
Glasgow
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.15 £15.87
$21.03 £15.78
0.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$87.9 £65.9
$66.7 £50.1
31.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.51 £7.89
$10.56 £7.92
-0.47%
Cappuccino
$4.61 £3.46
$4.78 £3.59
-3.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 £2.13
$2.27 £1.70
25.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 £1.57
$1.90 £1.42
10.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.76 £5.07
$5.43 £4.08
24.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.76 £5.07
$6.76 £5.07
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
St. Andrews
Glasgow
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 £1.13
$1.65 £1.24
-8.48%
White Bread (500g)
$1.71 £1.28
$1.69 £1.27
1.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.03 £1.52
$1.98 £1.49
2.53%
Eggs
$4.49 £3.37
$3.93 £2.95
14.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.37 £5.53
$9.24 £6.93
-20.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.65 £7.24
$9.29 £6.97
3.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.41 £11.56
$16.82 £12.62
-8.38%
Apples (1kg)
$2.50 £1.88
$2.99 £2.24
-16.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.33 £1.00
$1.49 £1.12
-10.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.76 £2.07
$2.89 £2.17
-4.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.86 £2.15
$3.22 £2.42
-11.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.69 £1.27
$1.97 £1.47
-14.21%
Onion (1kg)
$1.52 £1.14
$1.59 £1.19
-4.40%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.20 £0.90
$1.19 £0.89
0.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.46 £1.85
$1.64 £1.23
50.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$22.57 £16.93
$23.68 £17.76
-4.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.86 £8.15
$11.13 £8.35
-2.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.70 £2.03
$3.39 £2.54
-20.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 £2.24
$3.44 £2.58
-13.37%
🚌 Getting Around
St. Andrews
Glasgow
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.79 £3.59
$4.07 £3.05
17.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$103 £77.5
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.05 £3.04
$6.03 £4.52
-32.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.44 £1.83
$1.16 £0.87
110.34%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.73 £17.80
$62.0 £46.48
-61.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.10 £1.58
$2.15 £1.62
-2.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.3K £28.7K
$39.3K £29.5K
-2.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.2K £30.9K
$39.7K £29.8K
3.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
St. Andrews
Glasgow
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$243 £182
$315 £236
-22.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.40 £10.06
$20.19 £15.15
-33.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$41.64 £31.24
$43.28 £32.47
-3.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
St. Andrews
Glasgow
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$91.6 £68.7
$46.26 £34.71
97.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$20.34 £15.26
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.06 £9.80
$16.23 £12.17
-19.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
St. Andrews
Glasgow
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,806 £1,355
$905 £679
99.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.8K £17.1K
$21.6K £16.2K
5.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
St. Andrews
Glasgow
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.6 £71.7
$135 £102
-29.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.97 £36.74
$46.32 £34.75
5.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 £77.8
$108 £80.9
-3.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.5 £66.4
$93.1 £69.9
-4.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
St. Andrews
Glasgow
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,366 £1,025
$1,350 £1,013
1.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,055 £792
$1,036 £778
1.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,104 £2,329
$2,680 £2,011
15.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,743 £2,058
$1,941 £1,456
41.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,137 £4,604
$4,064 £3,049
51.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,718 £2,039
$3,073 £2,306
-11.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
St. Andrews
Glasgow
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,397 £2,548
$3,420 £2,566
-0.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.41
4.79
12.94%

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

Last update for St. Andrews: October 18, 2026

Last update for Glasgow: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
St. Andrews
$1.1K
Glasgow
$1K 1.8% $19
Eating Out
St. Andrews
$323
Glasgow
$315 2.6% $8.3
Groceries & Markets
St. Andrews
$304
Glasgow
$313 2.8% $8.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
St. Andrews
$298
Glasgow
$378 27% $80
Clothing & Footwear
St. Andrews
$152
Glasgow
$172 13.6% $21
Sport & Entertainment
St. Andrews
$118
Glasgow
$79 33.1% $39
Getting Around
St. Andrews
$35 *
Glasgow
$131 271% $96

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,366 in St. Andrews 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 1% 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 St. Andrews versus $67.0 in Glasgow. Groceries tell a different story – $304 in St. Andrews vs $313 in Glasgow – so St. Andrews wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇧 St. Andrews
🇬🇧 Glasgow
🕒 Local time
22:12 10:12 PM
22:12 10:12 PM
Same time as St. Andrews
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
16,460
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
  • St. Andrews Glasgow 100 km
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  • St. Andrews
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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
St. Andrews vs Glasgow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in St. Andrews and in Glasgow compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,285 in St. Andrews, $2,425 in Glasgow – roughly 6% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in St. Andrews compared to Glasgow?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,428 per month in St. Andrews 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 St. Andrews and Glasgow?
Rent is clearly cheaper in St. Andrews, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: St. Andrews or Glasgow?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,285 in St. Andrews and $2,425 in Glasgow. That's a gap of about 6%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between St. Andrews and Glasgow?
Kindergarten costs $1,806 per month in St. Andrews and $905 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 St. Andrews, where all-in costs run around $2,285, than in Glasgow at $2,425. In St. Andrews it covers expenses comfortably, while in Glasgow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between St. Andrews and Glasgow?
It depends on your priorities. Glasgow has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,285 in St. Andrews to $2,425 in Glasgow. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is St. Andrews or Glasgow safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between St. Andrews and Glasgow?
If budget matters most, go with St. Andrews. 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.

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