Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brentwood and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Edinburgh: $2,645 a month against $3,111 in Brentwood, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brentwood outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Brentwood, United Kingdom
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Brentwood
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,111
/mo nomad
Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,645
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,111 per month in Brentwood vs $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent included.

  • Brentwood $3,111
  • Edinburgh $2,645

A couple spends around $4,366 per month in Brentwood vs $4,021 in Edinburgh, rent included.

  • Brentwood $4,366
  • Edinburgh $4,021

A family of three spends $5,620 per month in Brentwood vs $5,397 in Edinburgh, rent included.

  • Brentwood $5,620
  • Edinburgh $5,397

Brentwood costs about 18% more than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Brentwood and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Brentwood by 129%, Edinburgh by 94%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brentwood
Edinburgh
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.84 £14.81
$24.35 £18.18
-18.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.4 £60.8
$105 £78.6
-22.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.77 £8.79
$10.47 £7.81
12.42%
Cappuccino
$4.88 £3.64
$5.02 £3.75
-2.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 £1.41
$2.41 £1.80
-21.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.15 £0.86
$2.19 £1.64
-47.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.69 £4.99
$8.04 £6.00
-16.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.95 £4.44
$7.91 £5.91
-24.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brentwood
Edinburgh
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 £1.26
$1.75 £1.31
-3.43%
White Bread (500g)
$1.10 £0.82
$2.33 £1.74
-52.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.25 £1.68
$2.35 £1.75
-4.26%
Eggs
$4.10 £3.06
$5.13 £3.83
-20.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.32 £6.21
$9.05 £6.76
-8.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.27 £4.68
$9.26 £6.92
-32.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.08 £9.76
$16.17 £12.08
-19.11%
Apples (1kg)
$3.22 £2.40
$3.05 £2.28
5.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 £1.07
$1.87 £1.40
-23.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.57 £1.92
$3.35 £2.50
-23.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 £2.15
$3.75 £2.80
-23.20%
Potato (1kg)
$0.75 £0.56
$2.05 £1.53
-63.41%
Onion (1kg)
$1.24 £0.93
$1.53 £1.14
-18.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.84 £0.63
$1.33 £1.00
-36.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.31 £0.98
$1.89 £1.41
-30.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.20 £12.85
$23.87 £17.82
-27.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.37 £7.00
$10.96 £8.18
-14.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.10 £1.57
$3.16 £2.36
-33.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 £1.58
$3.22 £2.40
-34.16%
🚌 Getting Around
Brentwood
Edinburgh
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.21 £3.89
$3.13 £2.34
66.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$95.3 £71.1
$99.8 £74.5
-4.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.03 £3.76
$5.45 £4.07
-7.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.43 £1.07
$1.90 £1.42
-24.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.24 £16.60
$28.50 £21.28
-21.96%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.99 £1.49
$2.06 £1.54
-3.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.3K £29.3K
$38.2K £28.5K
2.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.1K £29.9K
$39.7K £29.7K
0.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brentwood
Edinburgh
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$316 £236
$329 £246
-4.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.14 £10.56
$16.81 £12.55
-15.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$41.24 £30.79
$43.13 £32.20
-4.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brentwood
Edinburgh
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.66 £25.13
$41.84 £31.24
-19.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.07 £17.23
$23.33 £17.42
-1.11%
Cinema Ticket
$20.57 £15.36
$14.67 £10.95
40.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brentwood
Edinburgh
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,914 £1,429
$1,901 £1,419
0.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.4K £16.7K
$25.8K £19.2K
-12.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brentwood
Edinburgh
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$92.3 £68.9
$82.2 £61.4
12.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.45 £29.46
$50.0 £37.34
-21.10%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.0 £60.5
$106 £78.9
-23.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.7 £72.2
$115 £86.0
-16.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brentwood
Edinburgh
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,527 £1,140
$1,691 £1,263
-9.69%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,832 £1,368
$1,205 £900
52.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,781 £2,077
$2,959 £2,209
-6.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,858 £2,134
$2,184 £1,631
30.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,041 £3,764
$6,388 £4,769
-21.09%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,864 £2,885
$4,514 £3,370
-14.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brentwood
Edinburgh
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,389 £2,530
$3,632 £2,712
-6.70%
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 Brentwood: October 26, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brentwood
$1.8K
Edinburgh
$1.2K 34.2% $627
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brentwood
$371
Edinburgh
$389 4.8% $18
Eating Out
Brentwood
$310
Edinburgh
$361 16.4% $51
Groceries & Markets
Brentwood
$256
Edinburgh
$333 30.2% $77
Clothing & Footwear
Brentwood
$139
Edinburgh
$159 14.1% $20
Getting Around
Brentwood
$128
Edinburgh
$127 0.8% $1
Sport & Entertainment
Brentwood
$75
Edinburgh
$71 4.9% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,527 in Brentwood versus $1,691 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 7% higher in Edinburgh, 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 $81 in Brentwood versus $105 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $256 vs $333 – making Brentwood the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Brentwood
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🕒 Local time
22:16 10:16 PM
22:16 10:16 PM
Same time as Brentwood
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
76,575
488,050
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brentwood Edinburgh 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Brentwood
  • 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
Brentwood vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Brentwood or Edinburgh?
Brentwood costs about 18% more than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Brentwood and in Edinburgh?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,667 per month in Brentwood and $3,968 in Edinburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Brentwood or Edinburgh?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Brentwood, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,527 there versus $1,691 in Edinburgh.
How do dining costs compare in Brentwood and in Edinburgh?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Brentwood and $105 in Edinburgh. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Brentwood compared to Edinburgh?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,111 in Brentwood and $2,645 in Edinburgh. That makes Edinburgh about 15% cheaper.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Brentwood or in Edinburgh?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,111 in Brentwood and $2,645 in Edinburgh. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Brentwood or Edinburgh?
It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,645 in Edinburgh to $3,111 in Brentwood. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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