Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bolton and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Bolton: $2,228 a month against $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Bolton
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Bolton Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index

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Bolton

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,228

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,228 per month in Bolton vs $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Bolton $2,228
Edinburgh $2,601

A couple spends around $3,272 per month in Bolton vs $3,985 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Bolton $3,272
Edinburgh $3,985

A family of three spends $4,316 per month in Bolton vs $5,369 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Bolton $4,316
Edinburgh $5,369

Bolton is about 14% cheaper than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Bolton and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Bolton by 64%, Edinburgh by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.04 £15.03

$23.67 £17.76

-15.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.5 £66.4

$108 £81.4

-18.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 £7.96

$10.71 £8.04

-1.03%

Cappuccino

$4.90 £3.68

$5.25 £3.94

-6.67%

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

$2.48 £1.86

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 £1.33

$2.17 £1.63

-18.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.51 £5.63

$7.94 £5.96

-5.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 £5.00

$8.00 £6.00

-16.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.26

$1.69 £1.27

-0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 £1.18

$2.35 £1.77

-33.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 £1.44

$2.36 £1.77

-18.64%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.06

$4.96 £3.72

-17.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.85 £7.39

$9.20 £6.91

7.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.68 £6.52

$9.33 £7.00

-6.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 £11.42

$15.79 £11.85

-3.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 £2.38

$3.01 £2.26

5.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.88 £1.41

3.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 £2.27

$3.42 £2.57

-11.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 £2.57

$3.67 £2.75

-6.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 £1.16

$2.01 £1.51

-22.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 £1.29

$1.55 £1.16

10.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 £0.91

$1.32 £0.99

-8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 £0.95

$1.93 £1.45

-34.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.39 £17.55

$23.23 £17.43

0.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.85 £8.14

$11.20 £8.40

-3.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 £1.82

$3.12 £2.34

-22.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 £2.28

$3.27 £2.46

-7.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 £2.02

$3.14 £2.35

-14.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 £36.59

$97.0 £72.8

-49.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 £3.00

$5.43 £4.08

-26.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 £1.66

$1.82 £1.37

21.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.96 £17.98

$28.32 £21.25

-15.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 £1.55

$2.08 £1.56

-0.48%

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

$38.8K £29.1K

$38.6K £28.9K

0.50%

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

$40.1K £30.1K

$39.9K £29.9K

0.64%

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

$246 £185

$328 £246

-24.98%

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

$16.21 £12.16

$16.47 £12.36

-1.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.86 £31.41

$42.32 £31.75

-1.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.9 £57.7

$44.41 £33.32

73.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.77 £5.08

$23.05 £17.30

-70.63%

Cinema Ticket

$13.09 £9.82

$14.39 £10.79

-9.03%

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

$1,283 £962

$1,775 £1,331

-27.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K £14.9K

$25.6K £19.2K

-22.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 £64.2

$81.2 £60.9

5.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.83 £31.38

$49.04 £36.79

-14.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 £66.4

$108 £81.2

-18.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.5 £65.7

$115 £85.9

-23.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,245 £934

$1,600 £1,200

-22.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$991 £743

$1,168 £876

-15.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 £1,444

$2,803 £2,103

-31.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,543 £1,157

$2,155 £1,617

-28.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,714 £5,037

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,715 £3,538

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,089 £3,068

$3,558 £2,669

14.92%

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 Bolton: October 17, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bolton

$991 44.5%

Edinburgh

$1.2K 44.9% 17.8% $177

Eating Out

Bolton

$319 14.3%

Edinburgh

$359 13.8% 12.5% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bolton

$304 13.7%

Edinburgh

$387 14.9% 27.2% $83

Groceries & Markets

Bolton

$300 13.5%

Edinburgh

$332 12.8% 10.7% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Bolton

$137 6.1%

Edinburgh

$159 6.1% 16.4% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Bolton

$103 4.6%

Edinburgh

$73 2.8% 29% $30

Getting Around

Bolton

$75 3.4%

Edinburgh

$124 4.8% 66.3% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,245 in Bolton 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 15% higher in Bolton, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Bolton versus $108 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $332 – making Bolton the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Bolton

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

01:16 1:16 AM

Same time as Bolton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

139,403

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

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Between locations

Bolton Edinburgh 270 km

From you

Bolton
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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

Bolton vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,342 per month in Bolton 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 Bolton, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 99% less in Bolton. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,283 per month in Bolton and $1,775 in Edinburgh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Bolton, where all-in costs run around $2,228, than in Edinburgh at $2,601. In Bolton it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bolton – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Bolton. 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.