Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alton and Edinburgh

For one person, living costs are similar in Alton and in Edinburgh: $2,607 and $2,645 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Alton
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Alton Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index

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Alton

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,607

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alton 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 Alton and in Edinburgh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,607 per month in Alton vs $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Alton $2,607
Edinburgh $2,645

A couple spends around $3,875 per month in Alton vs $4,021 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Alton $3,875
Edinburgh $4,021

A family of three spends $5,143 per month in Alton vs $5,397 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Alton $5,143
Edinburgh $5,397

Alton and Edinburgh have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Alton and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Alton by 92%, Edinburgh by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.13 £20.42

$24.35 £18.32

11.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 £78.7

$105 £79.2

-0.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.09

$10.47 £7.88

2.67%

Cappuccino

$5.69 £4.28

$5.02 £3.78

13.35%

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

$3.03 £2.28

$2.41 £1.82

25.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 £1.66

$2.19 £1.65

0.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.07 £6.83

$8.04 £6.05

12.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.96 £5.99

$7.91 £5.95

0.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 £1.37

$1.75 £1.32

3.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 £1.52

$2.33 £1.75

-13.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 £1.89

$2.35 £1.77

6.81%

Eggs

$3.39 £2.55

$5.13 £3.86

-33.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 £9.61

$9.05 £6.81

41.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.86 £8.18

$9.26 £6.97

17.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.24 £12.98

$16.17 £12.17

6.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 £2.36

$3.05 £2.29

2.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 £1.07

$1.87 £1.41

-24.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 £2.25

$3.35 £2.52

-10.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 £2.56

$3.75 £2.83

-9.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 £1.26

$2.05 £1.54

-18.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 £1.36

$1.53 £1.15

18.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 £1.11

$1.33 £1.00

10.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 £1.39

$1.89 £1.42

-2.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.77 £17.89

$23.87 £17.96

-0.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.50 £7.90

$10.96 £8.25

-4.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 £1.77

$3.16 £2.37

-25.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 £2.06

$3.22 £2.42

-14.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 £2.62

$3.13 £2.36

11.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.0 £73.8

$99.8 £75.1

-1.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 £4.11

$5.45 £4.10

0.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.39 £2.55

$1.90 £1.43

78.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.69 £19.33

$28.50 £21.45

-9.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 £1.58

$2.06 £1.55

1.94%

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

$38.2K £28.8K

0.02%

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

$40.2K £30.2K

$39.7K £29.9K

1.13%

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

$369 £278

$329 £248

12.22%

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

$18.30 £13.77

$16.81 £12.65

8.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.58 £30.54

$43.13 £32.46

-5.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.16 £34.74

$41.84 £31.49

10.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.33 £17.56

Cinema Ticket

$17.88 £13.45

$14.67 £11.04

21.88%

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

$2,877 £2,165

$1,901 £1,430

51.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.7K £26.9K

$25.8K £19.4K

38.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 £87.9

$82.2 £61.8

42.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 £41.04

$50.0 £37.63

9.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 £96.6

$106 £79.6

21.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 £124

$115 £86.7

43.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 £938

$1,691 £1,273

-26.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,019 £767

$1,205 £907

-15.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 £1,579

$2,959 £2,227

-29.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 £1,267

$2,184 £1,644

-22.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,091 £3,832

$6,388 £4,807

-20.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,807 £2,865

$4,514 £3,397

-15.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,632 £2,733

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.74

4.77

-0.63%

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

Last update for Alton: October 24, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alton

$1K 39.1%

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6% 18.2% $186

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alton

$428 16.4%

Edinburgh

$389 14.7% 9.1% $39

Eating Out

Alton

$400 15.3%

Edinburgh

$361 13.6% 9.7% $39

Groceries & Markets

Alton

$334 12.8%

Edinburgh

$333 12.6% 0.5% $1.8

Clothing & Footwear

Alton

$209 8%

Edinburgh

$159 6% 24% $50

Getting Around

Alton

$134 5.2%

Edinburgh

$127 4.8% 5.2% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Alton

$82 3.1%

Edinburgh

$71 2.7% 13.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,246 in Alton versus $1,691 in Edinburgh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Alton versus $105 in Edinburgh. Groceries tell a different story – $334 in Alton vs $333 in Edinburgh – so Edinburgh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Alton

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

20:23 8:23 PM

Same time as Alton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,816

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

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Between locations

Alton Edinburgh 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Alton
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

Alton vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,911 per month in Alton and $3,968 in Edinburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alton, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,246 there versus $1,691 in Edinburgh.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,607 in Alton and $2,645 in Edinburgh, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,607 in Alton to $2,645 in Edinburgh. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.