Cost of Living Comparison Between Buckingham and Edinburgh Cost of Living Comparison Between Buckingham and Edinburgh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Buckingham versus $2,772 in Edinburgh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Buckingham versus $4,140 in Edinburgh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,643 in Buckingham versus $5,508 in Edinburgh.

Living in Buckingham costs roughly 18% less than in Edinburgh, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Buckingham 70% above, Edinburgh 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.10 £14.96

$20.15 £15.00

-0.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.4 £61.4

$101 £74.9

-18.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 £8.14

$10.00 £7.45

9.40%

Cappuccino

$4.61 £3.43

$5.41 £4.03

-14.79%

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

$1.98 £1.48

$2.51 £1.87

-21.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 £0.99

$2.03 £1.51

-33.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 £4.15

$7.52 £5.60

-25.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 £3.99

$6.81 £5.07

-21.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 £0.88

$1.68 £1.25

-29.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 £1.15

$1.74 £1.30

-11.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 £1.58

$2.08 £1.55

1.92%

Eggs

$4.24 £3.16

$4.25 £3.17

-0.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 £7.51

$12.14 £9.04

-16.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.22 £5.38

$10.48 £7.80

-31.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.57 £11.59

$18.73 £13.94

-16.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 £2.44

$3.12 £2.33

5.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 £1.27

$1.55 £1.16

10.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 £2.08

$4.12 £3.07

-32.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 £1.91

$4.60 £3.42

-44.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 £0.74

$1.83 £1.36

-45.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 £1.30

$1.43 £1.07

22.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 £0.81

$1.22 £0.91

-10.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.35 £1.01

17.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.39 £12.20

$20.18 £15.02

-18.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.99 £8.18

$11.18 £8.32

-1.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 £1.95

$2.50 £1.86

4.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 £1.48

$3.29 £2.45

-39.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 £1.97

$2.70 £2.01

-1.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.5 £66.7

$89.4 £66.6

0.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.18 £3.11

$5.31 £3.95

-21.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 £1.00

$3.01 £2.24

-55.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.18 £18.74

$42.48 £31.63

-40.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.94 £1.44

1.55%

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

$38.4K £28.6K

$38.8K £28.9K

-1.10%

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

$42.3K £31.5K

$39.9K £29.7K

6.11%

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

$260 £194

$381 £283

-31.65%

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

$17.71 £13.19

$17.69 £13.17

0.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.37 £26.33

$43.83 £32.63

-19.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.41 £9.98

$53.6 £39.91

-74.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.17 £17.99

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 £9.07

$15.01 £11.18

-18.85%

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

$1,410 £1,049

$1,937 £1,442

-27.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K £10.0K

$23.8K £17.7K

-43.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.5 £56.2

$119 £88.8

-36.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.25 £26.99

$54.6 £40.63

-33.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.7 £52.6

$117 £87.4

-39.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 £67.4

$123 £91.3

-26.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 £1,102

$1,616 £1,203

-8.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 £789

$1,232 £918

-13.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,422 £2,548

$3,098 £2,306

10.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,060 £1,534

$2,186 £1,627

-5.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,701 £4,244

$6,544 £4,872

-12.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,733 £3,523

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,514 £3,360

$3,601 £2,681

25.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.79

5.63

2.84%

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

Last update for Buckingham: July 13, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,481 in Buckingham and $1,616 in Edinburgh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buckingham pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $82.0 in Buckingham vs $101 in Edinburgh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $340 per month, with Buckingham cheaper across the board.

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

Buckingham vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buckingham and Edinburgh differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $2,772 including rent). Buckingham is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 25% higher in Buckingham, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,481 in Buckingham versus $1,616 in Edinburgh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Buckingham versus $2,772 in Edinburgh – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Buckingham runs roughly 0% less than in Edinburgh. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,268 in Buckingham versus $2,772 in Edinburgh, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buckingham but tight or insufficient in Edinburgh. The gap between the two cities makes Buckingham the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Buckingham 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 Buckingham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Edinburgh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.