Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aberdeen and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Aberdeen: $2,264 a month against $2,617 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Aberdeen
Learn more

Aberdeen Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
Learn more

Edinburgh Living Index

Jump to prices

Aberdeen

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,264

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,617

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aberdeen and in Edinburgh

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aberdeen and in Edinburgh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,264 per month in Aberdeen vs $2,617 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Aberdeen $2,264
Edinburgh $2,617

A couple spends around $3,528 per month in Aberdeen vs $3,956 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Aberdeen $3,528
Edinburgh $3,956

A family of three spends $4,792 per month in Aberdeen vs $5,295 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Aberdeen $4,792
Edinburgh $5,295

Aberdeen is about 13% cheaper than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Aberdeen and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Aberdeen by 68%, Edinburgh by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.95 £14.96

$23.64 £17.73

-15.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.0 £70.5

$104 £78.2

-9.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £8.04

$10.48 £7.86

2.19%

Cappuccino

$4.59 £3.44

$5.08 £3.81

-9.65%

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

$2.71 £2.03

$2.50 £1.87

8.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 £1.59

$2.15 £1.61

-1.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.15 £5.37

$8.06 £6.04

-11.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.79 £5.84

$8.13 £6.10

-4.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 £1.12

$1.68 £1.26

-11.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 £1.28

$2.29 £1.71

-25.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 £1.47

$2.25 £1.69

-12.89%

Eggs

$4.36 £3.27

$5.05 £3.79

-13.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.81 £6.61

$9.05 £6.79

-2.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.10 £9.08

$9.49 £7.12

27.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.59 £12.44

$16.12 £12.10

2.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 £2.14

$3.05 £2.29

-6.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 £1.03

$1.93 £1.45

-28.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 £2.10

$3.36 £2.52

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 £2.75

$3.68 £2.76

-0.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 £1.28

$2.07 £1.55

-17.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 £1.13

$1.54 £1.16

-2.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.94

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 £1.22

$1.94 £1.45

-16.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.97 £16.48

$23.67 £17.76

-7.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 £8.40

$11.13 £8.35

0.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 £1.98

$3.22 £2.42

-18.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 £2.30

$3.19 £2.40

-3.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 £2.02

$3.20 £2.40

-15.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 £90.1

$96.7 £72.6

24.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.88 £2.91

$5.18 £3.89

-25.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 £1.84

$1.86 £1.40

31.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.17 £18.13

$28.69 £21.52

-15.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 £1.60

$2.14 £1.60

-0.47%

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

$37.5K £28.1K

$38.6K £29.0K

-3.07%

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

$40.2K £30.2K

$41.2K £30.9K

-2.35%

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

$400 £300

$330 £248

21.25%

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

$28.11 £21.09

$16.39 £12.30

71.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.10 £31.58

$42.15 £31.63

-0.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 £40.15

$44.13 £33.11

21.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.06 £16.55

$23.04 £17.28

-4.25%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 £8.43

$14.30 £10.73

-21.47%

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

$1,770 £1,328

$1,759 £1,319

0.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K £17.4K

$25.4K £19.0K

-8.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.3 £72.3

$80.6 £60.4

19.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.95 £36.73

$49.45 £37.10

-1.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £76.7

$106 £79.2

-3.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 £84.1

$115 £86.0

-2.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$833 £625

$1,611 £1,209

-48.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 £579

$1,185 £889

-34.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 £1,180

$2,738 £2,054

-42.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,611 £1,208

$2,106 £1,580

-23.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,281 £1,712

$6,632 £4,976

-65.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,390 £2,544

$4,609 £3,458

-26.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,625 £2,719

$3,522 £2,642

2.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.11

4.77

7.13%

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

Last update for Aberdeen: October 12, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aberdeen

$771 34.1%

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.3% 53.6% $413

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aberdeen

$470 20.8%

Edinburgh

$389 14.9% 17.4% $82

Groceries & Markets

Aberdeen

$320 14.1%

Edinburgh

$333 12.7% 3.9% $13

Eating Out

Aberdeen

$317 14%

Edinburgh

$357 13.6% 12.3% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Aberdeen

$162 7.2%

Edinburgh

$158 6% 2.6% $4.3

Getting Around

Aberdeen

$147 6.5%

Edinburgh

$124 4.7% 15.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Aberdeen

$76 3.4%

Edinburgh

$73 2.8% 4.3% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $833 in Aberdeen versus $1,611 in Edinburgh. 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 3% higher in Aberdeen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94.0 in Aberdeen versus $104 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $333 – making Aberdeen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Aberdeen

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

10:29 10:29 AM

Same time as Aberdeen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

229,060

488,050

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Aberdeen Edinburgh 150 km

From you

Aberdeen
Edinburgh

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

Aberdeen vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Edinburgh costs about 16% more than Aberdeen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,396 per month in Aberdeen and $3,925 in Edinburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aberdeen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,264 in Aberdeen and $2,617 in Edinburgh. That's a gap of about 16%.

Public transport costs about 24% less in Aberdeen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Aberdeen, where all-in costs run around $2,264, than in Edinburgh at $2,617. In Aberdeen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Aberdeen costs $2,264 versus $2,617 in Edinburgh. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

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