Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Derry and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Derry: $1,739 a month against $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Derry
Learn more

Derry Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
Learn more

Edinburgh Living Index

Jump to prices

Derry

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$1,739

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,739 per month in Derry vs $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Derry $1,739
Edinburgh $2,601

A couple spends around $2,610 per month in Derry vs $3,985 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Derry $2,610
Edinburgh $3,985

A family of three spends $3,481 per month in Derry vs $5,369 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Derry $3,481
Edinburgh $5,369

Derry is about 33% cheaper than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Derry and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Derry by 28%, Edinburgh by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.59 £13.95

$23.67 £17.76

-21.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.3 £54.2

$108 £81.4

-33.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.86 £8.14

$10.71 £8.04

1.40%

Cappuccino

$4.01 £3.01

$5.25 £3.94

-23.62%

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

$2.24 £1.68

$2.48 £1.86

-9.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 £1.22

$2.17 £1.63

-24.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.42 £4.07

$7.94 £5.96

-31.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 £4.53

$8.00 £6.00

-24.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 £1.21

$1.69 £1.27

-4.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 £1.00

$2.35 £1.77

-43.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 £1.56

$2.36 £1.77

-11.86%

Eggs

$3.30 £2.48

$4.96 £3.72

-33.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.45 £5.59

$9.20 £6.91

-19.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.99 £6.74

$9.33 £7.00

-3.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.91 £12.68

$15.79 £11.85

7.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 £1.97

$3.01 £2.26

-12.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 £0.96

$1.88 £1.41

-31.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 £2.08

$3.42 £2.57

-19.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 £2.48

$3.67 £2.75

-10.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 £1.01

$2.01 £1.51

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 £1.02

$1.55 £1.16

-12.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 £0.71

$1.32 £0.99

-28.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 £1.17

$1.93 £1.45

-19.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.54 £16.16

$23.23 £17.43

-7.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.59 £7.94

$11.20 £8.40

-5.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 £1.92

$3.12 £2.34

-17.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 £2.55

$3.27 £2.46

3.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.71 £2.78

$3.14 £2.35

18.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.9 £73.4

$97.0 £72.8

0.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 £4.02

$5.43 £4.08

-1.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 £0.89

$1.82 £1.37

-34.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.47 £25.86

$28.32 £21.25

21.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.41

$2.08 £1.56

-9.62%

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

$38.1K £28.6K

$38.6K £28.9K

-1.10%

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

$41.1K £30.8K

$39.9K £29.9K

3.08%

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

$131 £98.6

$328 £246

-59.94%

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

$15.79 £11.85

$16.47 £12.36

-4.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.21 £31.67

$42.32 £31.75

-0.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.29 £26.47

$44.41 £33.32

-20.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.36 £10.02

$23.05 £17.30

-42.04%

Cinema Ticket

$10.59 £7.95

$14.39 £10.79

-26.41%

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

$925 £694

$1,775 £1,331

-47.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K £16.7K

$25.6K £19.2K

-12.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 £71.1

$81.2 £60.9

16.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 £30.11

$49.04 £36.79

-18.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 £78.8

$108 £81.2

-2.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.4 £46.83

$115 £85.9

-45.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$844 £633

$1,600 £1,200

-47.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 £497

$1,168 £876

-43.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 £978

$2,803 £2,103

-53.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 £745

$2,155 £1,617

-53.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,591 £3,444

$6,714 £5,037

-31.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,837 £2,879

$4,715 £3,538

-18.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,558 £2,669

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

4.77

0.42%

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

Last update for Derry: October 19, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Derry

$662 38.1%

Edinburgh

$1.2K 44.9% 76.4% $506

Groceries & Markets

Derry

$287 16.5%

Edinburgh

$332 12.8% 15.5% $44

Eating Out

Derry

$284 16.3%

Edinburgh

$359 13.8% 26.3% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Derry

$189 10.9%

Edinburgh

$387 14.9% 104% $198

Clothing & Footwear

Derry

$136 7.8%

Edinburgh

$159 6.1% 16.8% $23

Getting Around

Derry

$124 7.1%

Edinburgh

$124 4.8% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Derry

$56 3.3%

Edinburgh

$73 2.8% 29.6% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $844 in Derry versus $1,600 in Edinburgh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72.0 in Derry versus $108 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $332 – making Derry the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Derry

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

03:26 3:26 AM

Same time as Derry

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,016

488,050

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Derry Edinburgh 280 km

From you

Derry
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

Derry vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,739 in Derry, $2,601 in Edinburgh – roughly 50% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,609 per month in Derry and $3,902 in Edinburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $925 per month in Derry and $1,775 in Edinburgh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Edinburgh, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Derry, where all-in costs run around $1,739, than in Edinburgh at $2,601. In Derry it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,739 in Derry to $2,601 in Edinburgh. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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