Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Blackburn and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Blackburn: $2,041 a month against $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Blackburn
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Blackburn Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index

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Blackburn

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,041

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,041 per month in Blackburn vs $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Blackburn $2,041
Edinburgh $2,601

A couple spends around $3,009 per month in Blackburn vs $3,985 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Blackburn $3,009
Edinburgh $3,985

A family of three spends $3,978 per month in Blackburn vs $5,369 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Blackburn $3,978
Edinburgh $5,369

Blackburn is about 22% cheaper than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Blackburn and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Blackburn by 51%, Edinburgh by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.39 £10.80

$23.67 £17.76

-39.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.1 £42.82

$108 £81.4

-47.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 £6.09

$10.71 £8.04

-24.18%

Cappuccino

$3.93 £2.95

$5.25 £3.94

-25.14%

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

$2.63 £1.97

$2.48 £1.86

6.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 £1.11

$2.17 £1.63

-31.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.45 £3.33

$7.94 £5.96

-43.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.40 £4.05

$8.00 £6.00

-32.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.69 £1.27

-4.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 £1.09

$2.35 £1.77

-38.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 £1.76

$2.36 £1.77

-0.42%

Eggs

$3.49 £2.61

$4.96 £3.72

-29.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 £8.11

$9.20 £6.91

17.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 £6.63

$9.33 £7.00

-5.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.85 £11.89

$15.79 £11.85

0.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 £1.21

$3.01 £2.26

-46.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 £1.16

$1.88 £1.41

-17.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 £1.78

$3.42 £2.57

-30.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 £2.32

$3.67 £2.75

-15.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 £1.10

$2.01 £1.51

-27.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 £1.14

$1.55 £1.16

-1.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 £0.34

$1.32 £0.99

-65.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 £0.52

$1.93 £1.45

-64.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.04 £15.03

$23.23 £17.43

-13.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.22 £6.92

$11.20 £8.40

-17.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 £1.70

$3.12 £2.34

-27.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 £1.46

$3.27 £2.46

-40.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.60 £1.95

$3.14 £2.35

-17.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 £55.4

$97.0 £72.8

-23.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 £2.04

$5.43 £4.08

-50.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 £1.52

$1.82 £1.37

11.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.04 £13.54

$28.32 £21.25

-36.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 £1.57

$2.08 £1.56

0.48%

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

$38.4K £28.8K

$38.6K £28.9K

-0.44%

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

$40.3K £30.2K

$39.9K £29.9K

1.05%

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

$239 £180

$328 £246

-27.05%

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

$16.92 £12.70

$16.47 £12.36

2.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.93 £21.70

$42.32 £31.75

-31.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.21 £33.92

$44.41 £33.32

1.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.07 £9.06

$23.05 £17.30

-47.64%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 £6.89

$14.39 £10.79

-36.14%

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

$1,073 £805

$1,775 £1,331

-39.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K £16.9K

$25.6K £19.2K

-11.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.1 £67.6

$81.2 £60.9

10.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.45 £35.60

$49.04 £36.79

-3.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 £67.4

$108 £81.2

-17.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.8 £51.7

$115 £85.9

-39.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 £922

$1,600 £1,200

-23.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$954 £716

$1,168 £876

-18.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,863 £1,397

$2,803 £2,103

-33.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 £1,235

$2,155 £1,617

-23.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,025 £3,770

$6,714 £5,037

-25.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,894 £2,921

$4,715 £3,538

-17.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,139 £1,605

$3,558 £2,669

-39.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

4.77

4.61%

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

Last update for Blackburn: October 19, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Blackburn

$954 46.7%

Edinburgh

$1.2K 44.9% 22.4% $214

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Blackburn

$285 14%

Edinburgh

$387 14.9% 35.7% $102

Groceries & Markets

Blackburn

$272 13.3%

Edinburgh

$332 12.8% 22.1% $60

Eating Out

Blackburn

$236 11.6%

Edinburgh

$359 13.8% 51.9% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Blackburn

$133 6.5%

Edinburgh

$159 6.1% 19.2% $26

Getting Around

Blackburn

$97 4.8%

Edinburgh

$124 4.8% 27.8% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Blackburn

$64 3.1%

Edinburgh

$73 2.8% 15.1% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,229 in Blackburn 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 66% 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 $57.0 in Blackburn versus $108 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $332 – making Blackburn the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Blackburn

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

09:33 9:33 AM

Same time as Blackburn

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

105,000

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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Blackburn Edinburgh 250 km

From you

Blackburn
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

Blackburn vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,041 in Blackburn, $2,601 in Edinburgh – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,061 per month in Blackburn 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 Blackburn, 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 $2,041 in Blackburn and $2,601 in Edinburgh. That's a gap of about 27%.

Public transport costs about 31% less in Blackburn. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Blackburn, where all-in costs run around $2,041, than in Edinburgh at $2,601. In Blackburn it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,041 in Blackburn to $2,601 in Edinburgh. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Blackburn. 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.