Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge and Edinburgh Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge and Edinburgh

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,101 per month in Cambridge vs $2,704 in Edinburgh, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,435 per month in Cambridge vs $4,119 in Edinburgh, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,770 per month in Cambridge vs $5,535 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Cambridge costs about 15% more than Edinburgh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Cambridge and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Cambridge by 132%, Edinburgh by 102%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.75 £19.79

$20.53 £15.19

30.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.7 £71.6

$104 £76.8

-6.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 £8.15

$9.92 £7.34

10.99%

Cappuccino

$4.84 £3.58

$5.32 £3.93

-9.02%

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

$2.84 £2.10

$2.59 £1.92

9.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 £1.48

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 £5.97

$7.45 £5.51

8.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 £5.85

$6.95 £5.14

13.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.43

$1.65 £1.22

16.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 £1.68

$1.66 £1.23

36.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 £2.07

$2.09 £1.55

33.97%

Eggs

$4.68 £3.46

$4.34 £3.21

7.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.54 £9.28

$11.93 £8.83

5.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 £7.40

$10.21 £7.56

-2.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.86 £13.22

$18.53 £13.71

-3.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 £2.36

$3.28 £2.43

-2.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 £1.41

$1.56 £1.16

21.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 £2.70

$4.21 £3.11

-13.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 £2.60

$4.78 £3.54

-26.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 £1.40

$1.75 £1.29

8.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 £1.50

$1.50 £1.11

35.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 £1.03

$1.18 £0.87

17.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 £1.13

$1.30 £0.96

17.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.56 £15.22

$20.45 £15.13

0.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.39 £8.43

$10.71 £7.93

6.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 £2.61

$2.62 £1.94

34.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 £3.04

$3.38 £2.50

21.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 £2.02

$2.76 £2.04

-0.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.3 £59.4

$87.9 £65.1

-8.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.84 £5.06

$5.48 £4.05

24.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 £1.83

$3.04 £2.25

-18.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.1 £40.76

$42.23 £31.25

30.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.44

$1.87 £1.39

4.28%

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

$38.9K £28.8K

$37.8K £28.0K

2.85%

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

$43.5K £32.2K

$39.8K £29.5K

9.24%

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

$342 £253

$383 £283

-10.69%

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

$15.86 £11.74

$17.20 £12.73

-7.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.10 £28.93

$44.72 £33.09

-12.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.3 £54.2

$53.5 £39.61

36.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.40 £10.66

$24.76 £18.32

-41.84%

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 £11.86

$14.74 £10.91

8.75%

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

$2,284 £1,690

$1,892 £1,400

20.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K £17.3K

$23.5K £17.4K

-0.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 £63.3

$119 £88.0

-28.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.8 £42.01

$54.2 £40.08

4.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 £64.4

$115 £85.2

-24.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 £91.8

$126 £93.2

-1.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,939 £1,435

$1,651 £1,222

17.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 £1,199

$1,212 £897

33.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,641 £2,694

$3,071 £2,273

18.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,553 £1,889

$2,188 £1,619

16.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,310 £6,889

$6,829 £5,053

36.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,309 £4,669

$4,906 £3,630

28.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,098 £3,033

$3,585 £2,653

14.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

5.63

-1.60%

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

Last update for Cambridge: April 27, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,939 in Cambridge versus $1,651 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 14% higher in Cambridge, 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 $97.0 in Cambridge versus $104 in Edinburgh. Groceries tell a different story – $355 in Cambridge vs $338 in Edinburgh – so Edinburgh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Cambridge vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cambridge is pricier by about 15%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,651 per month in Cambridge and $4,055 in Edinburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $97.0 in Cambridge and $104 in Edinburgh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,101 in Cambridge and $2,704 in Edinburgh. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,101 in Cambridge and $2,704 in Edinburgh. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Edinburgh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Edinburgh. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cambridge makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.