Cost of Living Comparison Between Canterbury and Edinburgh Cost of Living Comparison Between Canterbury and Edinburgh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,932 in Canterbury versus $2,696 in Edinburgh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,196 in Canterbury versus $4,099 in Edinburgh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,459 in Canterbury versus $5,502 in Edinburgh.

Living in Canterbury is roughly 9% more expensive than in Edinburgh, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Canterbury 114% above, Edinburgh 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.67 £18.44

$24.27 £18.14

1.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 £67.4

$108 £80.7

-16.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 £7.92

$10.91 £8.15

-2.84%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.57

$5.13 £3.83

-6.82%

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

$2.66 £1.99

$2.39 £1.79

11.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 £1.65

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.64 £5.71

$8.21 £6.13

-6.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 £5.15

$7.99 £5.97

-13.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.79 £1.34

-14.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 £0.99

$2.42 £1.81

-45.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 £1.24

$2.28 £1.71

-26.75%

Eggs

$3.28 £2.45

$5.02 £3.76

-34.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 £7.05

$9.60 £7.18

-1.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 £6.00

$9.59 £7.17

-16.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.79 £20.77

$15.75 £11.77

76.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 £2.39

$3.11 £2.32

2.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 £1.06

$1.84 £1.38

-23.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 £2.38

$3.31 £2.48

-3.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.31 £2.47

$3.53 £2.64

-6.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 £1.27

$2.07 £1.55

-17.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 £1.11

$1.51 £1.13

-1.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 £1.30

$1.31 £0.98

32.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 £2.14

$1.92 £1.44

48.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.07 £17.98

$23.51 £17.57

2.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.31 £12.19

$11.02 £8.24

48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 £2.00

$3.13 £2.34

-14.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 £3.08

$3.33 £2.49

23.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.06 £3.04

$2.94 £2.20

38.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$145 £108

$96.9 £72.4

49.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.02 £3.75

$5.34 £3.99

-5.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 £2.05

$1.85 £1.38

48.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.93 £16.39

$28.78 £21.51

-23.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.49

$2.07 £1.55

-3.86%

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

$37.8K £28.2K

$38.8K £29.0K

-2.49%

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

$41.5K £31.0K

$40.7K £30.4K

2.10%

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

$390 £292

$335 £250

16.50%

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

$35.86 £26.80

$16.42 £12.27

118.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.40 £30.94

$42.73 £31.93

-3.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 £41.25

$45.98 £34.36

20.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.57 £28.82

$23.69 £17.70

62.81%

Cinema Ticket

$20.04 £14.98

$14.71 £10.99

36.23%

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

$868 £649

$1,843 £1,377

-52.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K £15.0K

$26.1K £19.5K

-23.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.7 £73.7

$85.2 £63.7

15.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.53 £21.32

$51.0 £38.08

-44.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 £58.5

$108 £80.8

-27.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 £112

$118 £87.9

27.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,412 £1,055

$1,608 £1,202

-12.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,376 £1,028

$1,225 £916

12.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,436 £1,821

$2,862 £2,139

-14.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 £1,505

$2,163 £1,616

-6.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,175 £3,868

$6,804 £5,085

-23.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,448 £3,324

$4,688 £3,504

-5.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,257 £2,434

$3,512 £2,624

-7.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.51

4.78

15.27%

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

Last update for Canterbury: September 14, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,412 in Canterbury and $1,608 in Edinburgh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edinburgh pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $90.0 in Canterbury vs $108 in Edinburgh. Groceries flip the comparison at $357 vs $335, 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

Canterbury vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Edinburgh wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Canterbury. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Edinburgh the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 8% 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: $1,412 in Canterbury versus $1,608 in Edinburgh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $868 in Canterbury versus $1,843 in Edinburgh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Canterbury. 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 work as nomad bases, but Edinburgh delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,696 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Edinburgh hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Canterbury 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 9% less than in Canterbury. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.