Cost of Living Comparison Between Bath and Edinburgh Cost of Living Comparison Between Bath and Edinburgh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,903 in Bath versus $2,772 in Edinburgh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,180 in Bath versus $4,140 in Edinburgh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,456 in Bath versus $5,508 in Edinburgh.

Living in Bath is roughly 5% more expensive than in Edinburgh, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bath 117% above, Edinburgh 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.57 £15.30

$20.15 £14.99

2.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 £74.8

$101 £74.9

-0.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 £8.19

$10.00 £7.44

10.10%

Cappuccino

$4.95 £3.68

$5.41 £4.03

-8.50%

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

$2.56 £1.90

$2.51 £1.87

1.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 £1.35

$2.03 £1.51

-10.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.66 £5.70

$7.52 £5.59

1.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.72 £5.00

$6.81 £5.07

-1.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.68 £1.25

11.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.74 £1.30

-5.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 £2.09

$2.08 £1.54

35.10%

Eggs

$5.49 £4.08

$4.25 £3.16

29.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 £9.09

$12.14 £9.03

0.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.72 £7.97

$10.48 £7.79

2.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 £10.45

$18.73 £13.93

-25.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 £3.01

$3.12 £2.32

29.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.55 £1.15

1.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 £2.37

$4.12 £3.07

-22.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 £3.48

$4.60 £3.42

1.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.24

$1.83 £1.36

-8.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 £1.37

$1.43 £1.07

29.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.93

$1.22 £0.91

2.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.37

$1.35 £1.01

36.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.26 £14.33

$20.18 £15.01

-4.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 £8.31

$11.18 £8.32

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 £2.40

$2.50 £1.86

29.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 £2.31

$3.29 £2.44

-5.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 £1.98

$2.70 £2.01

-1.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$118 £87.7

$89.4 £66.5

31.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 £3.99

$5.31 £3.95

1.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 £1.30

$3.01 £2.24

-42.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.61 £20.54

$42.48 £31.60

-35.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.94 £1.44

1.03%

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

$38.1K £28.3K

$38.8K £28.9K

-1.78%

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

$43.4K £32.3K

$39.9K £29.7K

8.74%

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

$353 £262

$381 £283

-7.31%

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

$18.58 £13.82

$17.69 £13.16

5.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.04 £34.99

$43.83 £32.60

7.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.87 £36.35

$53.6 £39.87

-8.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.52 £8.57

$24.17 £17.98

-52.34%

Cinema Ticket

$13.69 £10.18

$15.01 £11.17

-8.79%

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

$1,750 £1,301

$1,937 £1,441

-9.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K £12.1K

$23.8K £17.7K

-31.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.5 £62.8

$119 £88.8

-29.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.86 £35.60

$54.6 £40.59

-12.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 £68.6

$117 £87.4

-21.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 £65.2

$123 £91.2

-28.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 £1,255

$1,616 £1,202

4.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 £1,038

$1,232 £917

13.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,409 £2,536

$3,098 £2,304

10.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,394 £1,781

$2,186 £1,626

9.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.1K £7,478

$6,544 £4,867

53.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,799 £5,057

$4,733 £3,520

43.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,580 £2,663

$3,601 £2,678

-0.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

5.63

1.95%

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

Last update for Bath: July 12, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,688 in Bath and $1,616 in Edinburgh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edinburgh pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Bath vs $101 in Edinburgh. Groceries flip the comparison at $347 vs $340, with Edinburgh cheaper for home cooking.

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

Bath vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Edinburgh is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Edinburgh. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,688 in Bath versus $1,616 in Edinburgh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,903 per month in Bath versus $2,772 in Edinburgh – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Edinburgh runs roughly 32% less than in Bath. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Edinburgh is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Edinburgh is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bath, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bath and Edinburgh are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Edinburgh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Bath. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.