Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Alton

For one person, living costs are similar in Edinburgh and in Alton: $2,645 and $2,607 a month, rent and utilities included.

128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Alton
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Alton Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

Alton

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Alton

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Edinburgh and in Alton actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,645 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,607 in Alton, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,645
Alton $2,607

A couple spends around $4,021 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,875 in Alton, rent included.

Edinburgh $4,021
Alton $3,875

A family of three spends $5,397 per month in Edinburgh vs $5,143 in Alton, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,397
Alton $5,143

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

Both Edinburgh and Alton sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 94%, Alton by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.35 £18.32

$27.13 £20.42

-10.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 £79.2

$105 £78.7

0.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 £7.88

$10.75 £8.09

-2.60%

Cappuccino

$5.02 £3.78

$5.69 £4.28

-11.78%

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

$2.41 £1.82

$3.03 £2.28

-20.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 £1.65

$2.20 £1.66

-0.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 £6.05

$9.07 £6.83

-11.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 £5.95

$7.96 £5.99

-0.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 £1.32

$1.81 £1.37

-3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 £1.75

$2.02 £1.52

15.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 £1.77

$2.51 £1.89

-6.37%

Eggs

$5.13 £3.86

$3.39 £2.55

51.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 £6.81

$12.77 £9.61

-29.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 £6.97

$10.86 £8.18

-14.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 £12.17

$17.24 £12.98

-6.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.29

$3.14 £2.36

-2.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 £1.41

$1.42 £1.07

31.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 £2.52

$2.99 £2.25

12.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 £2.83

$3.40 £2.56

10.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.54

$1.68 £1.26

22.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.15

$1.81 £1.36

-15.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 £1.00

$1.47 £1.11

-9.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.42

$1.85 £1.39

2.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.87 £17.96

$23.77 £17.89

0.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 £8.25

$10.50 £7.90

4.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 £2.37

$2.35 £1.77

34.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.42

$2.74 £2.06

17.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 £2.36

$3.49 £2.62

-10.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 £75.1

$98.0 £73.8

1.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.10

$5.46 £4.11

-0.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 £1.43

$3.39 £2.55

-43.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 £21.45

$25.69 £19.33

10.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 £1.55

$2.10 £1.58

-1.90%

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

$38.2K £28.8K

-0.02%

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

$39.7K £29.9K

$40.2K £30.2K

-1.12%

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

$329 £248

$369 £278

-10.89%

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

$16.81 £12.65

$18.30 £13.77

-8.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.13 £32.46

$40.58 £30.54

6.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 £31.49

$46.16 £34.74

-9.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.33 £17.56

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 £11.04

$17.88 £13.45

-17.95%

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

$1,901 £1,430

$2,877 £2,165

-33.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K £19.4K

$35.7K £26.9K

-27.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 £61.8

$117 £87.9

-29.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 £37.63

$54.5 £41.04

-8.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £79.6

$128 £96.6

-17.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £86.7

$165 £124

-30.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 £1,273

$1,246 £938

35.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 £907

$1,019 £767

18.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,959 £2,227

$2,098 £1,579

41.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,184 £1,644

$1,683 £1,267

29.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,388 £4,807

$5,091 £3,832

25.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 £3,397

$3,807 £2,865

18.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,632 £2,733

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

4.74

0.63%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Last update for Alton: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6%

Alton

$1K 39.1% 15.4% $186

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$389 14.7%

Alton

$428 16.4% 10.1% $39

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$361 13.6%

Alton

$400 15.3% 10.8% $39

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.6%

Alton

$334 12.8% 0.5% $1.8

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$159 6%

Alton

$209 8% 31.6% $50

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$127 4.8%

Alton

$134 5.2% 5.5% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$71 2.7%

Alton

$82 3.1% 15.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,691 in Edinburgh versus $1,246 in Alton. 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 $105 in Edinburgh versus $105 in Alton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $334 – making Edinburgh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Alton

🕒 Local time

23:45 11:45 PM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

17,816

💱 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

Edinburgh Alton 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Edinburgh
Alton

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

Edinburgh vs Alton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,968 per month in Edinburgh and $3,911 in Alton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alton, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,246 there versus $1,691 in Edinburgh.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,645 in Edinburgh and $2,607 in Alton, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,607 in Alton to $2,645 in Edinburgh. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.