Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barnsley and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Barnsley: $1,892 a month against $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

92

Cost of Living Index in Barnsley
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Barnsley Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index

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Barnsley

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$1,892

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,892 per month in Barnsley vs $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Barnsley $1,892
Edinburgh $2,601

A couple spends around $2,842 per month in Barnsley vs $3,985 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Barnsley $2,842
Edinburgh $3,985

A family of three spends $3,792 per month in Barnsley vs $5,369 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Barnsley $3,792
Edinburgh $5,369

Barnsley is about 27% cheaper than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Barnsley and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Barnsley by 40%, Edinburgh by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.36 £18.28

$23.67 £17.76

2.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.8 £62.9

$108 £81.4

-22.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 £7.89

$10.71 £8.04

-1.77%

Cappuccino

$4.81 £3.61

$5.25 £3.94

-8.38%

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

$2.39 £1.79

$2.48 £1.86

-3.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 £1.22

$2.17 £1.63

-25.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 £4.46

$7.94 £5.96

-25.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 £5.01

$8.00 £6.00

-16.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 £1.28

$1.69 £1.27

1.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 £1.39

$2.35 £1.77

-20.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 £1.51

$2.36 £1.77

-14.83%

Eggs

$4.00 £3.00

$4.96 £3.72

-19.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.71 £6.53

$9.20 £6.91

-5.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.38 £6.28

$9.33 £7.00

-10.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.58 £10.94

$15.79 £11.85

-7.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 £2.24

$3.01 £2.26

-0.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 £1.44

$1.88 £1.41

2.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 £1.96

$3.42 £2.57

-23.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 £2.22

$3.67 £2.75

-19.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 £1.42

$2.01 £1.51

-5.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 £1.22

$1.55 £1.16

4.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 £1.13

$1.32 £0.99

14.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 £1.09

$1.93 £1.45

-24.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.72 £17.80

$23.23 £17.43

2.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.36 £8.52

$11.20 £8.40

1.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 £2.59

$3.12 £2.34

10.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 £2.47

$3.27 £2.46

0.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 £1.96

$3.14 £2.35

-16.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.0 £72.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 £3.93

$5.43 £4.08

-3.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 £1.04

$1.82 £1.37

-24.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.06 £14.30

$28.32 £21.25

-32.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.49

$2.08 £1.56

-4.33%

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

$38.3K £28.8K

$38.6K £28.9K

-0.62%

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

$40.8K £30.6K

$39.9K £29.9K

2.35%

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

$283 £213

$328 £246

-13.65%

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

$20.34 £15.26

$16.47 £12.36

23.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.95 £32.97

$42.32 £31.75

3.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 £50.4

$44.41 £33.32

51.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.05 £17.30

Cinema Ticket

$12.68 £9.51

$14.39 £10.79

-11.88%

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

$1,486 £1,115

$1,775 £1,331

-16.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K £12.3K

$25.6K £19.2K

-36.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 £45.04

$81.2 £60.9

-26.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.02 £30.77

$49.04 £36.79

-16.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 £69.6

$108 £81.2

-14.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 £59.8

$115 £85.9

-30.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$921 £691

$1,600 £1,200

-42.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 £495

$1,168 £876

-43.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 £1,010

$2,803 £2,103

-51.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,101 £826

$2,155 £1,617

-48.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,714 £5,037

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,715 £3,538

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,966 £2,225

$3,558 £2,669

-16.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.61

4.77

17.61%

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

Last update for Barnsley: October 17, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barnsley

$660 34.9%

Edinburgh

$1.2K 44.9% 76.8% $507

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barnsley

$348 18.4%

Edinburgh

$387 14.9% 11.3% $39

Eating Out

Barnsley

$343 18.2%

Edinburgh

$359 13.8% 4.5% $15

Groceries & Markets

Barnsley

$302 16%

Edinburgh

$332 12.8% 9.8% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Barnsley

$123 6.5%

Edinburgh

$159 6.1% 29.1% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Barnsley

$93 4.9%

Edinburgh

$73 2.8% 21% $19

Getting Around

Barnsley

$23 * 1.2%

Edinburgh

$124 4.8% 449% $101

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $921 in Barnsley 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 20% higher in Edinburgh, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84.0 in Barnsley versus $108 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $302 vs $332 – making Barnsley the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Barnsley

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

14:00 2:00 PM

Same time as Barnsley

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

245,199

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

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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

Barnsley vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,838 per month in Barnsley 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 Barnsley, 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 $1,892 in Barnsley and $2,601 in Edinburgh. That's a gap of about 38%.

Kindergarten costs $1,486 per month in Barnsley and $1,775 in Edinburgh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Barnsley, where all-in costs run around $1,892, than in Edinburgh at $2,601. In Barnsley it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Barnsley – 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 Barnsley. 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.