Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belfast and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Belfast: $2,320 a month against $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Edinburgh outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

113

Cost of Living Index in Belfast
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Belfast Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index

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Belfast

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,320

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Belfast versus $2,601 in Edinburgh.

Belfast $2,320
Edinburgh $2,601

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,411 in Belfast versus $3,985 in Edinburgh.

Belfast $3,411
Edinburgh $3,985

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,502 in Belfast versus $5,369 in Edinburgh.

Belfast $4,502
Edinburgh $5,369

Living in Belfast costs roughly 11% less than in Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Belfast 71% above, Edinburgh 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.58 £19.19

$23.67 £17.76

8.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.0 £69.0

$108 £81.4

-15.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 £7.83

$10.71 £8.04

-2.52%

Cappuccino

$4.90 £3.68

$5.25 £3.94

-6.67%

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

$3.02 £2.26

$2.48 £1.86

21.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 £1.49

$2.17 £1.63

-8.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.09 £6.07

$7.94 £5.96

1.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.97 £5.98

$8.00 £6.00

-0.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 £1.37

$1.69 £1.27

8.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 £1.75

$2.35 £1.77

-0.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 £2.01

$2.36 £1.77

13.14%

Eggs

$4.62 £3.47

$4.96 £3.72

-6.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.66 £8.00

$9.20 £6.91

15.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.06 £8.29

$9.33 £7.00

18.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.61 £11.71

$15.79 £11.85

-1.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 £2.45

$3.01 £2.26

8.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 £1.49

$1.88 £1.41

5.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 £2.52

$3.42 £2.57

-1.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 £3.09

$3.67 £2.75

12.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 £1.79

$2.01 £1.51

18.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 £1.16

$1.55 £1.16

-0.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 £1.05

$1.32 £0.99

6.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.38

$1.93 £1.45

-4.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.83 £17.88

$23.23 £17.43

2.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.07 £9.06

$11.20 £8.40

7.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 £2.05

$3.12 £2.34

-12.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 £2.30

$3.27 £2.46

-6.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 £2.28

$3.14 £2.35

-3.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.5 £74.6

$97.0 £72.8

2.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 £3.46

$5.43 £4.08

-15.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 £1.13

$1.82 £1.37

-17.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.18 £15.14

$28.32 £21.25

-28.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 £1.57

$2.08 £1.56

0.48%

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

$38.3K £28.7K

$38.6K £28.9K

-0.68%

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

$40.2K £30.2K

$39.9K £29.9K

0.82%

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

$268 £201

$328 £246

-18.49%

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

$24.11 £18.09

$16.47 £12.36

46.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.65 £34.25

$42.32 £31.75

7.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.38 £35.54

$44.41 £33.32

6.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.58 £7.94

$23.05 £17.30

-54.10%

Cinema Ticket

$14.40 £10.80

$14.39 £10.79

0.07%

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

$1,426 £1,070

$1,775 £1,331

-19.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K £13.5K

$25.6K £19.2K

-29.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.0 £62.2

$81.2 £60.9

2.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.89 £35.18

$49.04 £36.79

-4.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £81.3

$108 £81.2

0.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 £78.1

$115 £85.9

-9.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 £892

$1,600 £1,200

-25.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$909 £682

$1,168 £876

-22.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 £1,437

$2,803 £2,103

-31.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 £1,022

$2,155 £1,617

-36.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,128 £3,097

$6,714 £5,037

-38.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,571 £1,929

$4,715 £3,538

-45.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,255 £2,442

$3,558 £2,669

-8.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.91

4.77

2.94%

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

Last update for Belfast: 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

Belfast

$909 39.2%

Edinburgh

$1.2K 44.9% 28.5% $259

Eating Out

Belfast

$371 16%

Edinburgh

$359 13.8% 3.4% $12

Groceries & Markets

Belfast

$349 15.1%

Edinburgh

$332 12.8% 4.9% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belfast

$337 14.5%

Edinburgh

$387 14.9% 14.7% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Belfast

$154 6.6%

Edinburgh

$159 6.1% 3.2% $4.9

Getting Around

Belfast

$124 5.3%

Edinburgh

$124 4.8% 0.3% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Belfast

$76 3.3%

Edinburgh

$73 2.8% 3.9% $3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,189 in Belfast and $1,600 in Edinburgh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edinburgh pays 9% 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: $92.0 in Belfast vs $108 in Edinburgh. Groceries flip the comparison at $349 vs $332, with Edinburgh cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Belfast

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

11:48 11:48 AM

Same time as Belfast

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

348,000

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

Belfast vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belfast is cheaper overall, especially in clothing and transport. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 9% 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: $1,189 in Belfast versus $1,600 in Edinburgh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,426 in Belfast versus $1,775 in Edinburgh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Edinburgh pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,320 in Belfast versus $2,601 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 12% less than in Edinburgh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.