Cost of Living Comparison Between Chatham and Edinburgh Cost of Living Comparison Between Chatham and Edinburgh

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,785 per month in Chatham vs $2,772 in Edinburgh, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,957 per month in Chatham vs $4,140 in Edinburgh, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,129 per month in Chatham vs $5,508 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Chatham and Edinburgh have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Chatham and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Chatham by 108%, Edinburgh by 107%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.66 £19.85

$20.15 £15.00

32.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.5 £71.1

$101 £74.9

-5.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.79 £7.29

$10.00 £7.45

-2.10%

Cappuccino

$3.44 £2.56

$5.41 £4.03

-36.41%

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

$3.33 £2.48

$2.51 £1.87

32.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 £0.99

$2.03 £1.51

-34.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.66 £4.96

$7.52 £5.60

-11.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 £5.17

$6.81 £5.07

1.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 £1.04

$1.68 £1.25

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 £0.98

$1.74 £1.30

-24.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 £2.06

$2.08 £1.55

32.69%

Eggs

$3.70 £2.75

$4.25 £3.17

-12.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.89 £7.37

$12.14 £9.04

-18.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.14 £6.06

$10.48 £7.80

-22.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.07 £9.73

$18.73 £13.94

-30.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.27

$3.12 £2.33

-2.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.11

$1.55 £1.16

-3.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 £2.17

$4.12 £3.07

-29.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 £2.41

$4.60 £3.42

-29.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 £1.10

$1.83 £1.36

-19.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.43 £1.07

-4.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 £0.74

$1.22 £0.91

-18.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 £1.16

$1.35 £1.01

15.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.99 £11.16

$20.18 £15.02

-25.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.17 £9.80

$11.18 £8.32

17.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 £1.72

$2.50 £1.86

-7.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 £2.48

$3.29 £2.45

1.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.77 £2.06

$2.70 £2.01

2.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.6 £65.2

$89.4 £66.6

-2.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.18 £4.60

$5.31 £3.95

16.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 £1.25

$3.01 £2.24

-44.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.80 £11.02

$42.48 £31.63

-65.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.94 £1.44

-3.61%

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

$38.9K £28.9K

$38.8K £28.9K

0.17%

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

$41.8K £31.1K

$39.9K £29.7K

4.88%

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

$228 £170

$381 £283

-40.11%

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

$18.96 £14.12

$17.69 £13.17

7.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.69 £32.52

$43.83 £32.63

-0.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.43 £36.05

$53.6 £39.91

-9.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.17 £17.99

Cinema Ticket

$13.36 £9.95

$15.01 £11.18

-10.99%

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

$1,273 £947

$1,937 £1,442

-34.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K £18.9K

$23.8K £17.7K

6.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.6 £62.3

$119 £88.8

-29.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.42 £36.05

$54.6 £40.63

-11.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 £81.8

$117 £87.4

-6.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 £74.6

$123 £91.3

-18.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 £1,213

$1,616 £1,203

0.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,574 £1,172

$1,232 £918

27.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 £1,879

$3,098 £2,306

-18.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,184 £1,626

$2,186 £1,627

-0.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,882 £5,868

$6,544 £4,872

20.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,323 £5,452

$4,733 £3,523

54.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,955 £2,200

$3,601 £2,681

-17.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.53

5.63

-1.78%

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

Last update for Chatham: July 12, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,629 in Chatham versus $1,616 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 22% higher in Edinburgh. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Chatham versus $101 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $340 – making Chatham the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Chatham vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,178 per month in Chatham and $4,158 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Chatham – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

Kindergarten costs $1,273 per month in Chatham and $1,937 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 $2,785 in Chatham and $2,772 in Edinburgh. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Edinburgh costs $2,772 versus $2,785 in Chatham. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Chatham makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.