Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barnet and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Edinburgh: $2,601 a month against $2,941 in Barnet, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Barnet outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

141

Cost of Living Index in Barnet
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Barnet Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index

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Barnet

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,941

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,941 per month in Barnet vs $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Barnet $2,941
Edinburgh $2,601

A couple spends around $4,337 per month in Barnet vs $3,985 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Barnet $4,337
Edinburgh $3,985

A family of three spends $5,732 per month in Barnet vs $5,369 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Barnet $5,732
Edinburgh $5,369

Barnet costs about 13% more than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Barnet and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Barnet by 117%, Edinburgh by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.54 £17.66

$23.67 £17.76

-0.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.0 £69.0

$108 £81.4

-15.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.76 £8.07

$10.71 £8.04

0.47%

Cappuccino

$5.76 £4.32

$5.25 £3.94

9.71%

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

$2.89 £2.17

$2.48 £1.86

16.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 £1.45

$2.17 £1.63

-11.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.99 £6.00

$7.94 £5.96

0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.56 £4.92

$8.00 £6.00

-18.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 £1.23

$1.69 £1.27

-2.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 £1.34

$2.35 £1.77

-23.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 £1.89

$2.36 £1.77

6.78%

Eggs

$4.82 £3.61

$4.96 £3.72

-2.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 £8.67

$9.20 £6.91

25.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 £7.96

$9.33 £7.00

13.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.26 £12.95

$15.79 £11.85

9.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 £2.27

$3.01 £2.26

0.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 £1.32

$1.88 £1.41

-6.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 £2.29

$3.42 £2.57

-10.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.46 £2.60

$3.67 £2.75

-5.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 £1.36

$2.01 £1.51

-9.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 £1.37

$1.55 £1.16

18.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 £0.93

$1.32 £0.99

-6.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.35

$1.93 £1.45

-6.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.04 £18.04

$23.23 £17.43

3.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.00 £9.00

$11.20 £8.40

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 £2.41

$3.12 £2.34

2.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 £3.40

$3.27 £2.46

38.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 £1.72

$3.14 £2.35

-27.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.0 £72.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 £4.18

$5.43 £4.08

2.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 £1.97

$1.82 £1.37

44.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.1 £37.56

$28.32 £21.25

76.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 £1.56

$2.08 £1.56

-0.48%

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

$38.8K £29.1K

$38.6K £28.9K

0.66%

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

$41.1K £30.8K

$39.9K £29.9K

3.05%

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

$338 £253

$328 £246

2.87%

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

$18.82 £14.12

$16.47 £12.36

14.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.52 £30.40

$42.32 £31.75

-4.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.41 £33.32

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.05 £17.30

Cinema Ticket

$17.19 £12.90

$14.39 £10.79

19.46%

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

$2,564 £1,924

$1,775 £1,331

44.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.2K £26.4K

$25.6K £19.2K

37.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.1 £67.6

$81.2 £60.9

11.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.56 £34.93

$49.04 £36.79

-5.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 £69.0

$108 £81.2

-15.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 £96.6

$115 £85.9

12.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 £1,488

$1,600 £1,200

23.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 £1,213

$1,168 £876

38.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,261 £2,446

$2,803 £2,103

16.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,847 £2,136

$2,155 £1,617

32.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.2K £10.7K

$6,714 £5,037

111.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.4K £10.8K

$4,715 £3,538

206.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,685 £2,015

$3,558 £2,669

-24.53%

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 Barnet: October 20, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barnet

$1.6K 55%

Edinburgh

$1.2K 44.9% 27.8% $449

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barnet

$397 13.5%

Edinburgh

$387 14.9% 2.5% $10

Eating Out

Barnet

$362 12.3%

Edinburgh

$359 13.8% 0.9% $3.3

Groceries & Markets

Barnet

$343 11.7%

Edinburgh

$332 12.8% 3.3% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Barnet

$161 5.5%

Edinburgh

$159 6.1% 1.2% $2

Sport & Entertainment

Barnet

$34 * 1.2%

Edinburgh

$73 2.8% 113% $39

Getting Around

Barnet

$28 * 1%

Edinburgh

$124 4.8% 345% $96

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,984 in Barnet versus $1,600 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 32% higher in Edinburgh, 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 $92.0 in Barnet versus $108 in Edinburgh. Groceries tell a different story – $343 in Barnet vs $332 in Edinburgh – so Edinburgh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Barnet

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

04:06 4:06 AM

Same time as Barnet

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

111,973

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

Barnet Edinburgh 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Barnet
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

Barnet vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Barnet is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,412 per month in Barnet and $3,902 in Edinburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92.0 in Barnet and $108 in Edinburgh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Barnet, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,941 in Barnet and $2,601 in Edinburgh. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Edinburgh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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