Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bradford and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Bradford: $2,040 a month against $2,617 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bradford
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,040
/mo nomad
Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,617
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,040 per month in Bradford vs $2,617 in Edinburgh, rent included.

  • Bradford $2,040
  • Edinburgh $2,617

A couple spends around $2,987 per month in Bradford vs $3,956 in Edinburgh, rent included.

  • Bradford $2,987
  • Edinburgh $3,956

A family of three spends $3,933 per month in Bradford vs $5,295 in Edinburgh, rent included.

  • Bradford $3,933
  • Edinburgh $5,295

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

Both Bradford and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Bradford by 51%, Edinburgh by 94%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bradford
Edinburgh
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.85 £15.64
$23.64 £17.73
-11.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.5 £57.4
$104 £78.2
-26.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.59 £7.94
$10.48 £7.86
1.05%
Cappuccino
$4.34 £3.26
$5.08 £3.81
-14.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 £1.80
$2.50 £1.87
-4.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 £1.51
$2.15 £1.61
-6.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.08 £4.56
$8.06 £6.04
-24.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.36 £4.02
$8.13 £6.10
-34.07%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bradford
Edinburgh
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 £1.10
$1.68 £1.26
-12.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 £1.09
$2.29 £1.71
-36.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.86 £2.15
$2.25 £1.69
27.11%
Eggs
$3.98 £2.99
$5.05 £3.79
-21.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.58 £6.44
$9.05 £6.79
-5.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.63 £6.47
$9.49 £7.12
-9.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.16 £10.62
$16.12 £12.10
-12.16%
Apples (1kg)
$3.12 £2.34
$3.05 £2.29
2.30%
Banana (1kg)
$1.92 £1.44
$1.93 £1.45
-0.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.77 £2.08
$3.36 £2.52
-17.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.33 £2.50
$3.68 £2.76
-9.51%
Potato (1kg)
$1.81 £1.36
$2.07 £1.55
-12.56%
Onion (1kg)
$1.70 £1.28
$1.54 £1.16
10.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.21 £0.91
$1.25 £0.94
-3.20%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 £1.21
$1.94 £1.45
-17.01%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.57 £15.43
$23.67 £17.76
-13.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.43 £7.82
$11.13 £8.35
-6.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.32 £2.49
$3.22 £2.42
3.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27 £2.46
$3.19 £2.40
2.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Bradford
Edinburgh
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.72 £2.04
$3.20 £2.40
-15.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.2 £49.66
$96.7 £72.6
-31.57%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.37 £3.28
$5.18 £3.89
-15.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.43 £1.07
$1.86 £1.40
-23.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.79 £14.85
$28.69 £21.52
-31.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.99 £1.50
$2.14 £1.60
-7.01%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.5K £28.9K
$38.6K £29.0K
-0.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.6K £30.5K
$41.2K £30.9K
-1.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bradford
Edinburgh
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$339 £254
$330 £248
2.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.18 £15.14
$16.39 £12.30
23.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.92 £32.20
$42.15 £31.63
1.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bradford
Edinburgh
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.11 £26.34
$44.13 £33.11
-20.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.41 £14.56
$23.04 £17.28
-15.76%
Cinema Ticket
$13.40 £10.06
$14.30 £10.73
-6.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bradford
Edinburgh
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,195 £897
$1,759 £1,319
-32.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.2K £16.6K
$25.4K £19.0K
-12.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bradford
Edinburgh
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.4 £65.6
$80.6 £60.4
8.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.64 £34.24
$49.45 £37.10
-7.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.8 £68.1
$106 £79.2
-13.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.4 £67.8
$115 £86.0
-21.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bradford
Edinburgh
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$845 £634
$1,611 £1,209
-47.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$738 £553
$1,185 £889
-37.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,347 £1,011
$2,738 £2,054
-50.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,174 £881
$2,106 £1,580
-44.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,048 £3,037
$6,632 £4,976
-38.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,916 £2,188
$4,609 £3,458
-36.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bradford
Edinburgh
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,406 £2,555
$3,522 £2,642
-3.29%
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 Bradford: October 12, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bradford
$738
Edinburgh
$1.2K 60.6% $447
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bradford
$402
Edinburgh
$389 3.3% $13
Eating Out
Bradford
$309
Edinburgh
$357 15.3% $47
Groceries & Markets
Bradford
$300
Edinburgh
$333 11% $33
Clothing & Footwear
Bradford
$141
Edinburgh
$158 11.4% $16
Getting Around
Bradford
$89
Edinburgh
$124 40% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Bradford
$62
Edinburgh
$73 17.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $845 in Bradford versus $1,611 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 3% 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 $77.0 in Bradford versus $104 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $333 – making Bradford the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Bradford
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🕒 Local time
01:31 1:31 AM
01:31 1:31 AM
Same time as Bradford
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
293,717
488,050
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
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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
Bradford vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Bradford and in Edinburgh compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,040 in Bradford, $2,617 in Edinburgh – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Bradford compared to Edinburgh?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,061 per month in Bradford and $3,925 in Edinburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Bradford and Edinburgh?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bradford, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 11% more in Edinburgh, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Bradford and $104 in Edinburgh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Bradford, where all-in costs run around $2,040, than in Edinburgh at $2,617. In Bradford it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Bradford and Edinburgh?
It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,040 in Bradford to $2,617 in Edinburgh. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Bradford or Edinburgh safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Bradford and Edinburgh?
If budget matters most, go with Bradford. 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.

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