Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Braintree and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Braintree: $2,191 a month against $2,617 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Braintree
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Braintree Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index

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Braintree

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,191

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,617

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,191 per month in Braintree vs $2,617 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Braintree $2,191
Edinburgh $2,617

A couple spends around $3,260 per month in Braintree vs $3,956 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Braintree $3,260
Edinburgh $3,956

A family of three spends $4,329 per month in Braintree vs $5,295 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Braintree $4,329
Edinburgh $5,295

Braintree is about 16% cheaper than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Braintree and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Braintree by 62%, Edinburgh by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.01 £15.01

$23.64 £17.73

-15.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 £68.6

$104 £78.2

-12.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 £7.83

$10.48 £7.86

-0.38%

Cappuccino

$4.61 £3.46

$5.08 £3.81

-9.25%

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

$1.82 £1.36

$2.50 £1.87

-27.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 £0.85

$2.15 £1.61

-47.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.71 £5.03

$8.06 £6.04

-16.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 £4.42

$8.13 £6.10

-27.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 £1.07

$1.68 £1.26

-14.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 £1.03

$2.29 £1.71

-39.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 £1.23

$2.25 £1.69

-27.11%

Eggs

$2.95 £2.21

$5.05 £3.79

-41.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 £6.49

$9.05 £6.79

-4.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.74 £5.81

$9.49 £7.12

-18.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.97 £9.73

$16.12 £12.10

-19.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 £2.36

$3.05 £2.29

3.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 £1.05

$1.93 £1.45

-27.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 £1.94

$3.36 £2.52

-23.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 £2.08

$3.68 £2.76

-24.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 £1.24

$2.07 £1.55

-20.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 £1.06

$1.54 £1.16

-8.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 £0.89

$1.25 £0.94

-4.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 £1.02

$1.94 £1.45

-29.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.37 £17.53

$23.67 £17.76

-1.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.00 £6.75

$11.13 £8.35

-19.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 £2.02

$3.22 £2.42

-16.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 £1.75

$3.19 £2.40

-26.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 £2.56

$3.20 £2.40

6.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.4 £70.9

$96.7 £72.6

-2.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.77 £3.58

$5.18 £3.89

-7.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 £0.97

$1.86 £1.40

-30.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.52 £16.14

$28.69 £21.52

-24.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 £1.57

$2.14 £1.60

-2.34%

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

$37.4K £28.0K

$38.6K £29.0K

-3.25%

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

$40.0K £30.0K

$41.2K £30.9K

-2.79%

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

$249 £186

$330 £248

-24.71%

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

$14.35 £10.77

$16.39 £12.30

-12.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.48 £30.37

$42.15 £31.63

-3.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.52 £34.15

$44.13 £33.11

3.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 £17.28

Cinema Ticket

$21.07 £15.81

$14.30 £10.73

47.34%

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

$1,070 £802

$1,759 £1,319

-39.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K £14.9K

$25.4K £19.0K

-21.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 £52.3

$80.6 £60.4

-13.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.23 £23.43

$49.45 £37.10

-36.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 £58.4

$106 £79.2

-26.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.97 £37.49

$115 £86.0

-56.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 £915

$1,611 £1,209

-24.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,010 £758

$1,185 £889

-14.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,060 £1,545

$2,738 £2,054

-24.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,682 £1,262

$2,106 £1,580

-20.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,118 £3,839

$6,632 £4,976

-22.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,798 £2,850

$4,609 £3,458

-17.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,522 £2,642

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.67

4.77

-2.10%

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

Last update for Braintree: October 10, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Braintree

$1K 46.1%

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.3% 17.3% $174

Eating Out

Braintree

$304 13.9%

Edinburgh

$357 13.6% 17.4% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Braintree

$303 13.9%

Edinburgh

$389 14.9% 28.1% $85

Groceries & Markets

Braintree

$263 12%

Edinburgh

$333 12.7% 26.4% $70

Getting Around

Braintree

$119 5.5%

Edinburgh

$124 4.7% 3.9% $4.7

Clothing & Footwear

Braintree

$103 4.7%

Edinburgh

$158 6% 53.1% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Braintree

$88 4%

Edinburgh

$73 2.8% 17.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,220 in Braintree 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Braintree versus $104 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $333 – making Braintree the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Braintree

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

13:33 1:33 PM

Same time as Braintree

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

151,677

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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Between locations

Braintree Edinburgh 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Braintree
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

Braintree vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,191 in Braintree, $2,617 in Edinburgh – roughly 19% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,286 per month in Braintree and $3,925 in Edinburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Braintree, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Edinburgh, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Braintree and $104 in Edinburgh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Braintree, where all-in costs run around $2,191, than in Edinburgh at $2,617. In Braintree 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 $2,191 in Braintree to $2,617 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 Braintree. 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.