Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Derby and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Derby: $2,255 a month against $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Edinburgh outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

108

Cost of Living Index in Derby
Learn more

Derby Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
Learn more

Edinburgh Living Index

Jump to prices

Derby

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,255

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,255 per month in Derby vs $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Derby $2,255
Edinburgh $2,645

A couple spends around $3,377 per month in Derby vs $4,021 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Derby $3,377
Edinburgh $4,021

A family of three spends $4,499 per month in Derby vs $5,397 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Derby $4,499
Edinburgh $5,397

Derby is about 15% cheaper than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Derby and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Derby by 66%, Edinburgh by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.57 £19.84

$24.35 £18.18

9.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.0 £70.9

$105 £78.6

-9.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 £8.00

$10.47 £7.81

2.39%

Cappuccino

$4.97 £3.71

$5.02 £3.75

-1.00%

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

$2.52 £1.88

$2.41 £1.80

4.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 £1.46

$2.19 £1.64

-10.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.82 £5.09

$8.04 £6.00

-15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 £5.30

$7.91 £5.91

-10.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.75 £1.31

-10.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 £1.07

$2.33 £1.74

-38.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 £1.75

$2.35 £1.75

-0.43%

Eggs

$3.96 £2.96

$5.13 £3.83

-22.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.42 £6.29

$9.05 £6.76

-6.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 £6.41

$9.26 £6.92

-7.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.38 £17.46

$16.17 £12.08

44.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.42 £4.05

$3.05 £2.28

77.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 £2.09

$1.87 £1.40

49.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 £2.21

$3.35 £2.50

-11.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.74 £2.79

$3.75 £2.80

-0.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 £1.15

$2.05 £1.53

-24.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 £1.15

$1.53 £1.14

0.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 £0.78

$1.33 £1.00

-21.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.89 £1.41

-27.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.73 £17.72

$23.87 £17.82

-0.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.62 £7.93

$10.96 £8.18

-3.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.28 £2.45

$3.16 £2.36

3.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 £2.69

$3.22 £2.40

12.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.01 £3.00

$3.13 £2.34

28.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$115 £86.1

$99.8 £74.5

15.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.34 £3.24

$5.45 £4.07

-20.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.90 £1.42

-14.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.95 £23.86

$28.50 £21.28

12.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 £1.48

$2.06 £1.54

-3.88%

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

$38.2K £28.6K

$38.2K £28.5K

0.03%

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

$39.9K £29.8K

$39.7K £29.7K

0.39%

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

$366 £273

$329 £246

11.08%

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

$19.97 £14.91

$16.81 £12.55

18.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.71 £29.65

$43.13 £32.20

-7.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.95 £27.59

$41.84 £31.24

-11.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.60 £19.11

$23.33 £17.42

9.73%

Cinema Ticket

$15.22 £11.37

$14.67 £10.95

3.75%

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

$1,912 £1,428

$1,901 £1,419

0.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.3K £15.2K

$25.8K £19.2K

-21.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 £85.4

$82.2 £61.4

39.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 £43.28

$50.0 £37.34

15.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 £65.1

$106 £78.9

-17.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.1 £73.3

$115 £86.0

-14.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 £707

$1,691 £1,263

-43.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$746 £557

$1,205 £900

-38.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 £1,144

$2,959 £2,209

-48.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 £901

$2,184 £1,631

-44.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,201 £3,137

$6,388 £4,769

-34.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,055 £2,281

$4,514 £3,370

-32.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,541 £2,644

$3,632 £2,712

-2.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.88

4.77

2.31%

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

Last update for Derby: 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

Derby

$746 33.1%

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6% 61.5% $459

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Derby

$425 18.9%

Edinburgh

$389 14.7% 8.5% $36

Eating Out

Derby

$371 16.4%

Edinburgh

$361 13.6% 2.6% $9.7

Groceries & Markets

Derby

$341 15.1%

Edinburgh

$333 12.6% 2.4% $8.4

Clothing & Footwear

Derby

$161 7.1%

Edinburgh

$159 6% 1.3% $2

Getting Around

Derby

$144 6.4%

Edinburgh

$127 4.8% 11.5% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Derby

$67 3%

Edinburgh

$71 2.7% 5.6% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Derby 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 3% higher in Edinburgh, 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 $95 in Derby versus $105 in Edinburgh. Groceries tell a different story – $341 in Derby vs $333 in Edinburgh – so Edinburgh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Derby

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

17:24 5:24 PM

Same time as Derby

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

233,700

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

Derby Edinburgh 350 km

From you

Derby
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

Derby vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Edinburgh costs about 17% more than Derby, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,383 per month in Derby 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 Derby, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $947 there versus $1,691 in Edinburgh.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,255 in Derby and $2,645 in Edinburgh. That makes Derby about 15% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,912 per month in Derby and $1,901 in Edinburgh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,255 in Derby and $2,645 in Edinburgh. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,255 in Derby to $2,645 in Edinburgh. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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