Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basingstoke and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Basingstoke: $2,554 a month against $2,724 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Edinburgh outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

122

Cost of Living Index in Basingstoke
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Basingstoke Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index

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Basingstoke

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,554

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,724

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,554 per month in Basingstoke vs $2,724 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Basingstoke $2,554
Edinburgh $2,724

A couple spends around $3,861 per month in Basingstoke vs $4,109 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Basingstoke $3,861
Edinburgh $4,109

A family of three spends $5,169 per month in Basingstoke vs $5,494 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Basingstoke $5,169
Edinburgh $5,494

Basingstoke is about 6% cheaper than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Basingstoke and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Basingstoke by 89%, Edinburgh by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.37 £15.16

$24.24 £18.05

-15.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.9 £68.4

$108 £80.6

-15.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.58 £7.87

$10.67 £7.94

-0.84%

Cappuccino

$4.72 £3.51

$5.10 £3.79

-7.45%

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

$2.85 £2.12

$2.48 £1.85

14.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 £1.31

$2.24 £1.66

-21.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 £4.58

$7.82 £5.82

-21.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 £5.13

$8.14 £6.06

-15.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 £1.12

$1.74 £1.29

-13.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 £1.30

$2.32 £1.73

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 £1.35

$2.34 £1.74

-22.65%

Eggs

$3.81 £2.84

$4.90 £3.65

-22.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.46 £8.53

$9.37 £6.97

22.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.46 £6.30

$9.62 £7.16

-12.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.56 £9.35

$15.82 £11.77

-20.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 £2.32

$3.09 £2.30

0.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 £1.30

$1.91 £1.42

-8.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 £2.05

$3.27 £2.44

-15.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.28 £2.44

$3.57 £2.66

-8.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 £1.53

$1.99 £1.48

3.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 £1.30

$1.57 £1.17

11.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 £1.52

$1.29 £0.96

58.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 £1.32

$1.93 £1.44

-7.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.86 £17.76

$24.15 £17.98

-1.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.92 £10.36

$10.82 £8.05

28.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 £2.17

$3.18 £2.37

-8.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.36

$3.27 £2.44

-3.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 £2.92

$3.29 £2.45

19.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$173 £129

$101 £75.0

71.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.40 £5.51

$5.29 £3.94

39.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 £1.67

$2.43 £1.81

-7.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.82 £16.99

$46.91 £34.92

-51.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 £1.56

$2.21 £1.64

-5.43%

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

$39.4K £29.3K

$38.5K £28.7K

2.22%

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

$41.0K £30.5K

$40.5K £30.1K

1.37%

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

$278 £207

$335 £249

-16.95%

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

$16.25 £12.09

$16.31 £12.14

-0.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.80 £33.35

$40.88 £30.43

9.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 £44.93

$42.45 £31.60

42.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.18 £20.23

$24.02 £17.88

13.16%

Cinema Ticket

$13.59 £10.12

$15.02 £11.18

-9.52%

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

$1,989 £1,481

$1,869 £1,392

6.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K £15.8K

$26.0K £19.4K

-18.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 £65.7

$83.9 £62.4

5.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.4 £40.46

$47.78 £35.57

13.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.7

$108 £80.6

0.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 £80.7

$119 £88.7

-8.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 £956

$1,673 £1,245

-23.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 £844

$1,273 £947

-10.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,168 £1,614

$3,012 £2,242

-28.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 £1,510

$2,247 £1,672

-9.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,836 £6,577

$6,479 £4,823

36.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,668 £5,708

$4,429 £3,297

73.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,769 £2,806

$3,796 £2,826

-0.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.07

4.77

6.29%

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

Last update for Basingstoke: November 1, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Basingstoke

$1.1K 44.4%

Edinburgh

$1.3K 46.7% 12.3% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basingstoke

$339 13.3%

Edinburgh

$392 14.4% 15.6% $53

Eating Out

Basingstoke

$314 12.3%

Edinburgh

$361 13.3% 15% $47

Groceries & Markets

Basingstoke

$311 12.2%

Edinburgh

$333 12.2% 7.1% $22

Getting Around

Basingstoke

$207 8.1%

Edinburgh

$131 4.8% 36.7% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Basingstoke

$162 6.3%

Edinburgh

$162 5.9% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Basingstoke

$88 3.4%

Edinburgh

$72 2.7% 17.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,284 in Basingstoke versus $1,673 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 $92 in Basingstoke versus $108 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $311 vs $333 – making Basingstoke the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Basingstoke

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

07:46 7:46 AM

Same time as Basingstoke

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

107,355

488,050

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Basingstoke Edinburgh 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Basingstoke
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

Basingstoke vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,831 per month in Basingstoke and $4,086 in Edinburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Basingstoke, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,284 there versus $1,673 in Edinburgh.

Kindergarten costs $1,989 per month in Basingstoke and $1,869 in Edinburgh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Edinburgh, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,554 in Basingstoke and $2,724 in Edinburgh. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Basingstoke costs $2,554 versus $2,724 in Edinburgh. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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