Cost of Living Comparison Between Brighton and Edinburgh Cost of Living Comparison Between Brighton and Edinburgh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,017 in Brighton versus $2,691 in Edinburgh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,299 in Brighton versus $4,039 in Edinburgh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,581 in Brighton versus $5,386 in Edinburgh.

Living in Brighton is roughly 12% more expensive than in Edinburgh, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brighton 120% above, Edinburgh 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.51 £18.86

$24.27 £17.94

5.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.7 £72.2

$109 £80.9

-10.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 £7.55

$10.91 £8.06

-6.42%

Cappuccino

$5.37 £3.97

$5.18 £3.83

3.67%

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

$4.07 £3.01

$2.53 £1.87

60.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 £2.52

$2.17 £1.60

57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.88 £6.57

$8.19 £6.05

8.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.27 £6.85

$8.12 £6.00

14.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.42

$1.76 £1.30

9.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 £1.58

$2.33 £1.72

-8.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 £1.61

$2.33 £1.72

-6.87%

Eggs

$4.50 £3.33

$5.09 £3.76

-11.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 £8.93

$9.30 £6.87

29.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.34 £6.91

$9.54 £7.06

-2.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.64 £11.56

$15.99 £11.82

-2.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 £2.21

$3.01 £2.22

-0.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 £1.44

$1.79 £1.33

8.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 £2.22

$3.46 £2.56

-13.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 £2.83

$3.53 £2.61

8.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 £1.67

$2.19 £1.62

2.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 £1.42

$1.52 £1.12

26.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 £0.89

$1.27 £0.94

-5.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.91 £1.41

-8.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.63 £17.47

$24.28 £17.95

-2.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.45 £8.46

$11.30 £8.35

1.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 £2.20

$3.02 £2.23

-1.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 £2.39

$3.17 £2.35

1.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.13 £3.06

$2.95 £2.18

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$131 £97.2

$101 £74.5

30.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.17 £3.82

$5.45 £4.03

-5.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.76 £2.04

$1.95 £1.44

41.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.30 £29.79

$28.94 £21.39

39.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 £1.57

$2.05 £1.51

3.90%

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

$39.6K £29.3K

$39.3K £29.0K

0.84%

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

$40.9K £30.2K

$41.4K £30.6K

-1.34%

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

$290 £215

$343 £253

-15.34%

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

$17.06 £12.61

$17.03 £12.59

0.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.56 £33.68

$43.01 £31.80

5.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 £37.66

$47.96 £35.45

6.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.99 £20.69

$23.68 £17.50

18.20%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 £13.11

$15.04 £11.12

17.95%

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

$2,073 £1,532

$1,824 £1,349

13.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K £23.2K

$25.5K £18.8K

23.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.5 £69.9

$85.8 £63.4

10.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.51 £34.38

$50.3 £37.18

-7.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 £77.0

$108 £79.5

-3.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.7 £67.8

$118 £87.6

-22.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 £1,437

$1,644 £1,216

18.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 £1,111

$1,229 £909

22.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,897 £2,141

$2,844 £2,103

1.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,273 £1,680

$2,187 £1,617

3.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,617 £6,369

$6,732 £4,976

27.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,437 £4,758

$4,734 £3,499

35.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,415 £2,524

$3,581 £2,647

-4.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.12

4.78

7.11%

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

Last update for Brighton: August 30, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,944 in Brighton and $1,644 in Edinburgh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edinburgh pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $98.0 in Brighton vs $109 in Edinburgh. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $333, with Edinburgh cheaper for home cooking.

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

Brighton vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brighton and Edinburgh differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($3,017 vs $2,691 including rent). Edinburgh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Edinburgh. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,944 in Brighton versus $1,644 in Edinburgh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,073 in Brighton versus $1,824 in Edinburgh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Brighton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Edinburgh is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Brighton and Edinburgh are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Edinburgh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Brighton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.