Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Edinburgh: $2,645 a month against $3,192 in Cambridge, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

154

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge
Learn more

Cambridge Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
Learn more

Edinburgh Living Index

Jump to prices

Cambridge

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$3,192

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,192 per month in Cambridge vs $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Cambridge $3,192
Edinburgh $2,645

A couple spends around $4,469 per month in Cambridge vs $4,021 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Cambridge $4,469
Edinburgh $4,021

A family of three spends $5,746 per month in Cambridge vs $5,397 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Cambridge $5,746
Edinburgh $5,397

Cambridge costs about 21% more than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cambridge and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Cambridge by 135%, Edinburgh by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.53 £16.07

$24.35 £18.18

-11.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 £66.9

$105 £78.6

-14.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 £7.86

$10.47 £7.81

0.48%

Cappuccino

$4.70 £3.51

$5.02 £3.75

-6.37%

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

$2.68 £2.00

$2.41 £1.80

11.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 £1.38

$2.19 £1.64

-15.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.93 £5.92

$8.04 £6.00

-1.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 £5.05

$7.91 £5.91

-14.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.75 £1.31

-8.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 £1.30

$2.33 £1.74

-25.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 £1.87

$2.35 £1.75

6.81%

Eggs

$4.57 £3.41

$5.13 £3.83

-10.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 £7.37

$9.05 £6.76

9.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.79 £7.31

$9.26 £6.92

5.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.03 £11.97

$16.17 £12.08

-0.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 £2.27

$3.05 £2.28

-0.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 £1.27

$1.87 £1.40

-9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.66 £2.73

$3.35 £2.50

9.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 £2.67

$3.75 £2.80

-4.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 £1.36

$2.05 £1.53

-11.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 £1.41

$1.53 £1.14

23.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 £0.93

$1.33 £1.00

-6.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 £1.51

$1.89 £1.41

7.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.71 £16.96

$23.87 £17.82

-4.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.91 £8.15

$10.96 £8.18

-0.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.40

$3.16 £2.36

1.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 £3.06

$3.22 £2.40

27.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.89 £2.90

$3.13 £2.34

24.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$122 £91.2

$99.8 £74.5

22.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.19 £6.11

$5.45 £4.07

50.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 £1.97

$1.90 £1.42

38.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.3 £38.34

$28.50 £21.28

80.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 £1.55

$2.06 £1.54

0.49%

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

$38.8K £29.0K

$38.2K £28.5K

1.46%

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

$40.3K £30.1K

$39.7K £29.7K

1.56%

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

$338 £253

$329 £246

2.77%

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

$18.64 £13.92

$16.81 £12.55

10.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.43 £32.43

$43.13 £32.20

0.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.6 £43.75

$41.84 £31.24

40.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.89 £15.60

$23.33 £17.42

-10.46%

Cinema Ticket

$17.04 £12.73

$14.67 £10.95

16.16%

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

$2,515 £1,878

$1,901 £1,419

32.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.5K £27.2K

$25.8K £19.2K

41.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.3 £67.4

$82.2 £61.4

9.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.31 £36.07

$50.0 £37.34

-3.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 £69.7

$106 £78.9

-11.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 £95.6

$115 £86.0

11.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 £1,569

$1,691 £1,263

24.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,715 £1,281

$1,205 £900

42.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,163 £2,362

$2,959 £2,209

6.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,557 £1,909

$2,184 £1,631

17.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,228 £6,890

$6,388 £4,769

44.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,031 £4,503

$4,514 £3,370

33.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,537 £3,387

$3,632 £2,712

24.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.04

4.77

5.66%

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

Last update for Cambridge: October 25, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cambridge

$1.7K 53.7%

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6% 29.7% $510

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cambridge

$400 12.6%

Edinburgh

$389 14.7% 2.8% $11

Eating Out

Cambridge

$332 10.4%

Edinburgh

$361 13.6% 8.8% $29

Groceries & Markets

Cambridge

$331 10.4%

Edinburgh

$333 12.6% 0.5% $1.8

Clothing & Footwear

Cambridge

$162 5.1%

Edinburgh

$159 6% 1.9% $3.1

Getting Around

Cambridge

$159 5%

Edinburgh

$127 4.8% 20% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Cambridge

$93 2.9%

Edinburgh

$71 2.7% 23.2% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,102 in Cambridge 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 25% higher in Cambridge. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Cambridge versus $105 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $331 vs $333 – making Cambridge the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Cambridge

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

02:23 2:23 AM

Same time as Cambridge

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

145,818

488,050

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cambridge Edinburgh 470 km

From you

Cambridge
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

Cambridge vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cambridge is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,788 per month in Cambridge and $3,968 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,691 there versus $2,102 in Cambridge.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,192 in Cambridge and $2,645 in Edinburgh. That makes Edinburgh about 17% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,515 per month in Cambridge and $1,901 in Edinburgh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,192 in Cambridge and $2,645 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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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