Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Edinburgh

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

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,645 in Edinburgh.

Austin, TX $2,607
Edinburgh $2,645

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,021 in Edinburgh.

Austin, TX $4,031
Edinburgh $4,021

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,397 in Edinburgh.

Austin, TX $5,454
Edinburgh $5,397

Monthly costs are close between Austin, TX and Edinburgh; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Edinburgh 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$24.35 £18.18

-16.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$105 £78.6

-19.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.47 £7.81

15.76%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.02 £3.75

12.55%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.41 £1.80

52.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.19 £1.64

7.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$8.04 £6.00

-2.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.91 £5.91

11.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.75 £1.31

-34.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.33 £1.74

58.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.35 £1.75

40.85%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.13 £3.83

-19.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$9.05 £6.76

43.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$9.26 £6.92

49.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$16.17 £12.08

1.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.05 £2.28

53.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.87 £1.40

-22.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.35 £2.50

52.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.75 £2.80

20.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.05 £1.53

50.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.53 £1.14

55.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.33 £1.00

35.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.89 £1.41

17.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$23.87 £17.82

-58.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$10.96 £8.18

37.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.16 £2.36

-7.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.22 £2.40

3.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$3.13 £2.34

-61.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$99.8 £74.5

-59.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$5.45 £4.07

-48.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.90 £1.42

-13.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$28.50 £21.28

24.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.06 £1.54

-53.88%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$38.2K £28.5K

-10.55%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$39.7K £29.7K

-32.61%

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

$223 $223

$329 £246

-32.27%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$16.81 £12.55

247.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$43.13 £32.20

65.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$41.84 £31.24

26.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$23.33 £17.42

-28.20%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$14.67 £10.95

-4.16%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,901 £1,419

-23.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$25.8K £19.2K

-17.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$82.2 £61.4

-36.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$50.0 £37.34

-14.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$106 £78.9

-18.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$115 £86.0

-9.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,691 £1,263

24.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,205 £900

2.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,959 £2,209

30.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,184 £1,631

10.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$6,388 £4,769

16.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$4,514 £3,370

-32.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,632 £2,712

42.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

4.77

42.98%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6% 2.1% $25

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Edinburgh

$333 12.6% 18.8% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Edinburgh

$389 14.7% 10.4% $37

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Edinburgh

$361 13.6% 3.6% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Edinburgh

$159 6% 23.7% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Edinburgh

$71 2.7% 12.3% $10

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Edinburgh

$127 4.8% 126% $71

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,691 in Edinburgh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 43% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $105 in Edinburgh. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $333, with Edinburgh cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

21:12 9:12 PM

02:12 2:12 AM

5 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

488,050

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

GBP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Edinburgh 7,530 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
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

Austin, TX vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 43% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,691 in Edinburgh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,901 in Edinburgh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85 versus $105 in Edinburgh. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.