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Dublin vs Glasgow

Ireland flagDublinUnited Kingdom flagGlasgow

Dublin and Glasgow are compared across affordability, safety, healthcare, career, culture and food, and public life. Glasgow has the broader all-round edge, while Dublin leads on safety. The better fit depends on which of those relocation priorities matters most.

How they compare

AffordabilitySafetyHealthcareCareerCulturePublic life
  • Dublin
  • Glasgow
Affordability
57
66
Safety
73
65
Healthcare
62
73
Career
73
67
Culture & food
74
85
Public life & spaces
56
59
Overall
63
66

Objective 0–100 scores from source-backed CrossBorders data. Green marks the category leader; gold is the overall leader.

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Category by category

Is Dublin or Glasgow cheaper to live in?

Dublin 57Glasgow 66

Glasgow has the lower open-market one-bedroom rent on a new lease, at about €976 per month, compared with €1,859 in Dublin. Against one typical employee's mean net pay, Dublin is sharing likely at roughly 53%, while Glasgow is tight alone at roughly 44%.

Is Dublin or Glasgow safer?

Dublin 73Glasgow 65

Dublin leads. Both report rare serious violence and safe roads, but Glasgow's petty crime and night-time edginess run a touch higher, even as it's shed much of its old hard-man reputation.

Does Dublin or Glasgow have better healthcare?

Dublin 62Glasgow 73

Glasgow ahead. Both run in English and free at the point of use via national systems, but Glasgow's NHS delivers stronger overall quality, even as doctor availability and waits strain both cities.

Is Dublin or Glasgow better for your career?

Dublin 73Glasgow 67

Dublin's advantage. It's Ireland's multinational tech-and-pharma hub with the country's best salaries; Glasgow is a real regional economy that clears most of the UK outside London, but pay sits below Edinburgh and well under Dublin's ceiling.

Does Dublin or Glasgow have a better food and culture scene?

Dublin 74Glasgow 85

Glasgow leads, with music and nightlife among Britain's best and first-rate museums and galleries. Dublin punches above its size too, with a strong pub culture and literary heritage, but Glasgow's everyday cultural heat runs deeper.

Does Dublin or Glasgow have better public spaces and street life?

Dublin 56Glasgow 59

Glasgow ahead. Dublin's Georgian squares and free national museums impress, but its centre is visibly littered; Glasgow's Victorian bones and world-class free museums like Kelvingrove deliver more value at a lower everyday cost.

The verdict

Choose Glasgow for the broader all-round balance, especially if affordability matters most. Choose Dublin if safety matters more. Compare their rent burden and day-to-day strengths before deciding.

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