Living in Glasgow

In Glasgow, the median gross salary is €4,028 a month (2025).

Glasgow had a population of 640,350 at the end of 2023. At the end of 2024, the regional median gross salary stood at €3,014 per month. Glasgow had an unemployment rate of 6.18% at the end of 2018.

Last checked 2026-09-2626 sources

Population640,350people31 Dec 2023Official source · National Records of Scotland

Median gross salary4,028EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary

Average rent1,479EUR/month31 Aug 2026Regional figureOfficial source · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price

Unemployment rate6.18%country median 3.4% — 82% aboveOfficial source · Eurostat

Recorded crime756.7offences per 100,000country median 9,646 — 92% belowOfficial source · Scottish Government

PM2.5, annual mean7µg/m³31 Dec 2019Nearest stationOfficial source · European Environment Agency

Higher unemployment than 94% of United Kingdom cities that publish it, less recorded crime than 98% of United Kingdom cities that publish it and dirtier air than 77% of United Kingdom cities that publish it.

Which United Kingdom-wide rules apply when you move to Glasgow?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United KingdomNational rates and thresholds that apply in Glasgow.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent figure is published for Glasgow. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month5 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€808

Utilities, 85 m² flat€295

Fitness club€39

Internet, 60 Mbps€36

Mobile plan, 10 GB€16

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Fitness club membership, monthly	39.32 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo²⁵Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Grocery basket, monthly	86.31 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo²⁵Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	36.2 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo²⁵Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly	807.5 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo²⁵Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	19.85 eur	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo²⁵Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	16.06 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo²⁵Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	295.3 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo²⁵Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)	1,479 EUR/month	31 Aug 2026	ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price⁹Official · regional context

Is Glasgow a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker34%strong on work, weak on legal route · range 24–44%

Skilled employee61%strong on work, weak on safety · range 52–70%

Student48%strong on education, weak on work · range 39–57%

Family66%strong on family, weak on cost · range 57–75%

Retirement37%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 25–49%

Work and income

What is the typical salary in Glasgow?

The median gross salary is about 4,028 EUR/month (2025). The regional series (home-region basis, 2024) is a separate labelled row in the table.

City-scope median, gross, before tax and social contributions.

Median gross salary: 4,028 EUR/month · ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary⁸
Median gross salary (regional): 3,014 EUR/month · 2026-08-06 · Office for National Statistics (ONS)⁷

What is the unemployment rate in Glasgow?

The unemployment rate is about 6.2 % (2018).

Unemployment rate: 6.18 % · Eurostat³

Unemployment across cities in United KingdomUnemployment in Glasgow is 6.2%. Of 999 cities with data, 652 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

652

263

0–22–44–66–88–1010–1216–18

Glasgow 6.2%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Median gross salary	4,028 EUR/month	31 Dec 2025	ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary⁸Official
Median gross salary (regional)	3,014 EUR/month	31 Dec 2024	Office for National Statistics (ONS)⁷Official · regional context
Average net monthly salary	2,970 EUR/month	31 Aug 2026	Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/uk/glasgow/²⁶Community estimate · Supplemental context
Unemployment rate	6.18 %country median 3.4%	31 Dec 2018	Eurostat³Official

Unemployment rate over time10 published observations, 1996–2018

4.6%

8.4%

12.2%

15.9%

6.2%19962004200920152018

Unemployment rate fell 59.2% between 1996 and 2018, from 15.2% to 6.2%.

What does a salary buy in Glasgow?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€1,418of €3,244 take-home

Rent
Utilities
Internet
Mobile
Left over

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.	€3,244
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price · 2026-08-31	− €1,479
Public transport passnot published for this city	—
Utilities, 85 m²€295 · market price · Numbeo · 2026-08-03	− €295
Internet€36 · market price · Numbeo · 2026-08-03	− €36
Mobile plan€16 · market price · Numbeo · 2026-08-03	− €16
Left overbefore the bill this city does not publish	€1,418

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Glasgow Salary needed to live in Glasgow

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Glasgow. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Jobcentre Plus — Public employment service

Department for Work and Pensions

Job SearchUnemployment Claim

Open official service

Open the United Kingdom service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Glasgow. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Public language course providers	2 count	31 Aug 2026	English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) - Glasgow Clyde College¹Official
Primary schools	182 count	3 Aug 2026	Scottish Government¹⁴Official
Schools	245 count	3 Aug 2026	Scottish Government¹⁴Official

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 5 to 16, and public school is free.

A country-wide rule for United Kingdom; Glasgow's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: legislation.gov.uk · 1996–2026.

Healthcare

Metric	Value	Period	Source
GP practices	1 count	30 Sept 2026	ODS GP Practices report (epraccur)⁶Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Glasgow under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

Crime incidents numbered 756.7 incidents per 100,000 residents at the end of 2024.

How safe is Glasgow?

Police recorded about 757 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.

Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 756.7 offences per 100,000 · Scottish Government¹³

Recorded crime across major citiesGlasgow highlighted among comparable cities

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Manchester14,267

Bristol13,099

Liverpool12,409

Leeds11,462

Birmingham11,416

Leicester11,001

Sheffield9,693

Cardiff9,379

Belfast9,156

Coventry8,836

Glasgow757

Edinburgh549

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	756.7 offences per 100,000country median 9,646	31 Dec 2024	Scottish Government¹³Official

Mobility and administration

Glasgow's nearest airport was GLA, 11 km away and offered 63 direct destinations.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport	63 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights¹⁰Official
Distance to the nearest major airport	11 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹¹Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)	GLA	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹¹Official
Public transport monthly pass	89.92 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo²⁵Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Climate and air quality

Annual PM2.5 levels for Glasgow stood at 7 µg/m³ at the end of 2019. Monthly mean temperature moved from 2.9°C in January to 13.8°C in July.

Is the air quality good in Glasgow?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 7 µg/m³ (2019) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency²

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.57WHO 5 · EU 25

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United KingdomAnnual PM2.5 in Glasgow is 7.0 µg/m³. Of 941 cities with data, 487 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.

211

487

200

3–44–55–66–77–88–99–1013–14

Glasgow 7.0

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	7 µg/m³	31 Dec 2019	European Environment Agency²Official · nearest-station reading
Monthly extreme high temperature	Jan 11.09 · Feb 11.41 · Mar 15.9 · Apr 19.85 · May 23.13 · Jun 26.68 · Jul 25.4 · Aug 24.8 · Sep 22.21 · Oct 17.67 · Nov 13.55 · Dec 11.77 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁴Official · coordinate grid
Monthly extreme low temperature	Jan -8.1 · Feb -6.37 · Mar -7.95 · Apr -5.31 · May -1.78 · Jun 2.6 · Jul 5.22 · Aug 4.07 · Sep 0.52 · Oct -2.24 · Nov -5.31 · Dec -7.54 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁴Official · coordinate grid
Average temperature by month	Jan 2.87 · Feb 2.86 · Mar 4.11 · Apr 6.55 · May 9.43 · Jun 12.33 · Jul 13.85 · Aug 13.42 · Sep 11.46 · Oct 8.5 · Nov 5.49 · Dec 3.42 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁴Official · coordinate grid

Population and city profile

How many people live in Glasgow?

The published population was 640,350 people in June 2023. Source: National Records of Scotland⁵

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Population	640,350 people	31 Dec 2023	National Records of Scotland⁵Official

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Universities	5 count	3 Aug 2026	Scottish Funding Council¹²Official

Alternatives for people set on Glasgow

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Leeds as a Glasgow alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 288 km, better on 1 of 3 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Median gross pay, city and recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

Unemployment: 3.3% Leeds vs 6.2% Glasgow−47%
Annual PM2.5: 12.0 µg/m³ Leeds vs 7.0 µg/m³ Glasgow+71%
Median gross pay, city: €3,679 Leeds vs €4,028 Glasgowno percentage
Recorded crime, per 100k: 11,462 Leeds vs 757 Glasgowno percentage
Median gross pay, region: €3,095 Leeds vs €3,014 Glasgowsame level

Full comparison More about Leeds

Valencia as a Glasgow alternative in another country

A move, not a commute, at 1845 km, better on 3 of 3 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Median gross pay, region and recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

Basic utilities, 85 m²: €140 Valencia vs €295 Glasgow−53%
Transport pass: €35 Valencia vs €90 Glasgow−61%
Median gross pay, region: €1,888 Valencia vs €3,014 Glasgowno percentage
Recorded crime, per 100k: 7,592 Valencia vs 757 Glasgowno percentage
A meal out: €15 Valencia vs €20 Glasgow−24%

Full comparison More about Valencia

Cities near Glasgow

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Alternative cities in United Kingdom

Other cities in United Kingdom to compare with Glasgow, nearest in population first.

All United Kingdom cities

Leeds536,280 residents Liverpool506,565 residents Sheffield500,535 residents Edinburgh488,050 residents Manchester470,405 residents Bristol425,215 residents

How does Glasgow compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Glasgow's.

Open the full comparison

Glasgow in rankings

#2 of 30 in Largest cities in United Kingdom #5 of 30 in Highest salary cities in United Kingdom

Put Glasgow's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Glasgow?

The published population was 640,350 people in June 2023. Source: National Records of Scotland.

Is the air quality good in Glasgow?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 7 µg/m³ (2019) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency.

How safe is Glasgow?

Police recorded about 757 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Scottish Government.

What is the typical salary in Glasgow?

The median gross salary is about 4,028 EUR/month (2025). The regional series (home-region basis, 2024) is a separate labelled row in the table. Source: ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary.

What is the unemployment rate in Glasgow?

The unemployment rate is about 6.2 % (2018). Source: Eurostat.

What is the typical salary around Glasgow?

The median gross salary is 3,014 EUR/month. Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Is Glasgow a good place to live?

Glasgow may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Which cities are near Glasgow?

Rutherglen, Bishopbriggs, Stepps, Giffnock, Cambuslang are near Glasgow. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Glasgow, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 83dbb9ec2c63927f572e6ed62e894b3b]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/glasgow/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_glasgow-united-kingdom-population-rent-salary-jobs_9dac49a0ede6,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Glasgow, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {83dbb9ec2c63927f572e6ed62e894b3b},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/glasgow/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Glasgow, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/glasgow/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 83dbb9ec2c63927f572e6ed62e894b3b; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) - Glasgow Clyde College glasgowclyde.ac.uk · checked 2026-09-19
European Environment Agency air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
National Records of Scotland nrscotland.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-05
ODS GP Practices report (epraccur) odsdatasearchandexport.nhs.uk · checked 2026-09-15
Office for National Statistics (ONS) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-06
ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary ONS ASHE workplace analysis · nomisweb.co.uk · checked 2026-09-05
ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-25
OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03

Show 16 more sources

OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
Scottish Funding Council sfc.ac.uk · checked 2026-08-03
Scottish Government gov.scot · checked 2026-08-04
Scottish Government gov.scot · checked 2026-08-03
Travel to Work Areas (December 2011) full extent boundaries in the United Kingdom services1.arcgis.com · checked 2026-09-19
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-08-03
Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/uk/glasgow/ Numbeo city cost-of-living page · de.numbeo.com · checked 2026-09-05

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