Cost of Living Comparison Between Belfast and Edinburgh Cost of Living Comparison Between Belfast and Edinburgh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,156 in Belfast versus $2,767 in Edinburgh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,224 in Belfast versus $4,064 in Edinburgh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,291 in Belfast versus $5,361 in Edinburgh.

Living in Belfast costs roughly 22% less than in Edinburgh, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Belfast 61% above, Edinburgh 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.48 £17.49

$20.73 £15.44

13.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 £77.0

$104 £77.1

-0.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.93 £8.14

$9.95 £7.41

9.85%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.56

$5.32 £3.97

-10.15%

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

$2.63 £1.96

$2.61 £1.94

0.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 £1.58

$2.01 £1.50

5.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.96 £5.93

$7.64 £5.69

4.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 £5.13

$6.93 £5.16

-0.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.65 £1.23

13.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 £1.48

$1.73 £1.29

14.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.85 £2.13

$2.18 £1.62

30.73%

Eggs

$3.85 £2.87

$4.37 £3.26

-11.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.36 £7.71

$11.93 £8.88

-13.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.55 £7.86

$10.25 £7.63

2.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.33 £9.93

$18.87 £14.06

-29.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 £2.53

$3.22 £2.40

5.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 £1.44

$1.49 £1.11

29.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 £2.55

$4.14 £3.09

-17.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.01 £2.99

$4.74 £3.53

-15.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.82 £1.36

-4.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 £1.09

$1.42 £1.06

3.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.16 £0.87

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 £1.09

$1.33 £0.99

9.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.76 £15.46

$20.21 £15.05

2.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.36 £8.46

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 £2.02

$2.50 £1.86

8.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 £2.80

$3.27 £2.44

14.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 £2.28

$2.64 £1.97

15.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.5 £63.7

$89.4 £66.6

-4.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 £4.11

$5.58 £4.16

-1.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 £1.24

$3.15 £2.34

-47.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.69 £19.88

$42.77 £31.85

-37.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

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

$38.2K £28.4K

$38.2K £28.5K

-0.12%

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

$42.0K £31.3K

$38.8K £28.9K

8.09%

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

$146 £109

$381 £284

-61.65%

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

$18.31 £13.64

$17.32 £12.90

5.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.58 £31.72

$44.43 £33.09

-4.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.13 £35.10

$54.5 £40.59

-13.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.83 £11.79

$24.51 £18.26

-35.41%

Cinema Ticket

$13.62 £10.15

$14.73 £10.97

-7.54%

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

$1,502 £1,119

$1,944 £1,448

-22.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,812 £6,563

$24.1K £18.0K

-63.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 £63.4

$118 £88.1

-28.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.21 £35.16

$55.6 £41.42

-15.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.5

$116 £86.6

-7.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 £63.0

$126 £93.6

-32.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 £934

$1,653 £1,231

-24.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$955 £711

$1,201 £895

-20.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,960 £1,460

$3,062 £2,281

-36.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 £1,087

$2,168 £1,615

-32.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,291 £3,196

$6,616 £4,928

-35.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,597 £1,935

$4,869 £3,627

-46.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,008 £2,240

$3,659 £2,725

-17.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.62

5.63

-0.18%

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

Last update for Belfast: June 1, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,254 in Belfast and $1,653 in Edinburgh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edinburgh pays 22% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $103 in Belfast vs $104 in Edinburgh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $340 per month, with Belfast cheaper across the board.

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

Belfast vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belfast is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Edinburgh earns 22% less. 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: $1,254 in Belfast versus $1,653 in Edinburgh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,502 in Belfast versus $1,944 in Edinburgh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Edinburgh. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,156 in Belfast versus $2,767 in Edinburgh, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Belfast but tight or insufficient in Edinburgh. The gap between the two cities makes Belfast the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Belfast 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 Belfast gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Edinburgh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.