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Glasgow vs Tokyo cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฌ๐ง Glasgow
๐ฏ๐ต Tokyo
At a glance
- Where Tokyo is clearly cheaper: Street food (69%โ), Transit (65%โ), Local meal (63%โ)
- Where Glasgow is clearly cheaper: Laundry (46%โ), SIM card (20%โ), Haircut (20%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Glasgow is easier to travel (1.4 vs 1.6). Biggest gap: language โ Glasgow 1 vs Tokyo 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Glasgow | Tokyo | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ยฃ 15$20.3 | ยฅ 1,100$7.43 | Tokyo โ63% |
| Street food1 item | ยฃ 8$10.8 | ยฅ 500$3.38 | Tokyo โ69% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ยฃ 30$40.5 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Tokyo โ33% |
| Coffeeone cup | ยฃ 3.8$5.14 | ยฅ 600$4.05 | Tokyo โ21% |
| Beerone bottle | ยฃ 5$6.76 | ยฅ 650$4.39 | Tokyo โ35% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ยฃ 10$13.5 | ยฅ 1,500$10.1 | Tokyo โ25% |
| Bottled water | ยฃ 1.2$1.62 | ยฅ 130$0.88 | Tokyo โ46% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ยฃ 1.8$2.43 | ยฅ 180$1.22 | Tokyo โ50% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ยฃ 11$14.9 | ยฅ 2,400$16.2 | Glasgow โ8% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ยฃ 7$9.46 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Tokyo โ29% |
| Transitone ride | ยฃ 3$4.05 | ยฅ 210$1.42 | Tokyo โ65% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ยฃ 20$27 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Tokyo โ50% |
| Hotel night3-star | ยฃ 100$135 | ยฅ 16,000$108 | Tokyo โ20% |
| Studio rent (month) | ยฃ 910$1,230 | ยฅ 150,000$1,014 | Tokyo โ18% |
| Laundry | ยฃ 2.7$3.65 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Glasgow โ46% |
| SIM card1 week data | ยฃ 10$13.5 | ยฅ 2,500$16.9 | Glasgow โ20% |
| Haircutcut | ยฃ 16$21.6 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Glasgow โ20% |
| Massage1 hour | ยฃ 50$67.6 | ยฅ 5,500$37.2 | Tokyo โ45% |
| Half-day tourper person | ยฃ 45$60.8 | ยฅ 9,000$60.8 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ยฃ 12$16.2 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Tokyo โ17% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Glasgow or Tokyo?
Tokyo is 27% cheaper than Glasgow. Daily budget $288 vs $212; a month $5,116 vs $3,723.
Which is easier to travel, Glasgow or Tokyo?
Glasgow is easier: Glasgow 1.4/5 vs Tokyo 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Glasgow and Tokyo?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Glasgow is about $5,116 and Tokyo about $3,723 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.