Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Antrim

For one person, living is cheaper in Antrim: $2,403 a month against $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Edinburgh outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Antrim, United Kingdom
Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,645
/mo nomad
Antrim
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,403
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Antrim

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 Antrim actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,645 in Edinburgh versus $2,403 in Antrim.

  • Edinburgh $2,645
  • Antrim $2,403

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,021 in Edinburgh versus $3,591 in Antrim.

  • Edinburgh $4,021
  • Antrim $3,591

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,397 in Edinburgh versus $4,780 in Antrim.

  • Edinburgh $5,397
  • Antrim $4,780

Living in Edinburgh is roughly 10% more expensive than in Antrim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edinburgh 94% above, Antrim 77% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Edinburgh
Antrim
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.35 £18.32
$24.18 £18.20
0.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$105 £79.2
$94.1 £70.8
11.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.47 £7.88
$10.60 £7.98
-1.23%
Cappuccino
$5.02 £3.78
$4.75 £3.57
5.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41 £1.82
$2.53 £1.90
-4.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 £1.65
$1.98 £1.49
10.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.04 £6.05
$8.19 £6.16
-1.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.91 £5.95
$8.01 £6.03
-1.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
Antrim
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.75 £1.32
$1.76 £1.33
-0.57%
White Bread (500g)
$2.33 £1.75
$2.31 £1.74
0.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.35 £1.77
$2.27 £1.71
3.52%
Eggs
$5.13 £3.86
$5.00 £3.76
2.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.05 £6.81
$10.75 £8.09
-15.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.26 £6.97
$11.08 £8.34
-16.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.17 £12.17
$16.12 £12.13
0.31%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 £2.29
$2.95 £2.22
3.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.87 £1.41
$1.95 £1.47
-4.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.35 £2.52
$3.37 £2.54
-0.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.75 £2.83
$4.19 £3.15
-10.50%
Potato (1kg)
$2.05 £1.54
$2.37 £1.79
-13.50%
Onion (1kg)
$1.53 £1.15
$1.61 £1.21
-4.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.33 £1.00
$1.33 £1.00
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 £1.42
$1.93 £1.45
-2.07%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.87 £17.96
$23.98 £18.05
-0.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.96 £8.25
$12.13 £9.13
-9.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.16 £2.37
$3.20 £2.41
-1.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 £2.42
$3.27 £2.46
-1.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Edinburgh
Antrim
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.13 £2.36
$6.98 £5.26
-55.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$99.8 £75.1
$97.6 £73.5
2.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 £4.10
$4.58 £3.45
19.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.90 £1.43
$1.82 £1.37
4.40%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.50 £21.45
$29.31 £22.06
-2.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.06 £1.55
$2.13 £1.60
-3.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.8K
$39.1K £29.5K
-2.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.7K £29.9K
$39.7K £29.9K
-0.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
Antrim
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$329 £248
$264 £199
24.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.81 £12.65
$16.96 £12.77
-0.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.13 £32.46
$45.48 £34.23
-5.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
Antrim
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.84 £31.49
$33.78 £25.42
23.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.33 £17.56
$9.48 £7.13
146.10%
Cinema Ticket
$14.67 £11.04
$14.48 £10.90
1.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Edinburgh
Antrim
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,901 £1,430
$1,417 £1,066
34.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.8K £19.4K
$18.2K £13.7K
41.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
Antrim
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$82.2 £61.8
$83.1 £62.5
-1.07%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.0 £37.63
$46.87 £35.28
6.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 £79.6
$107 £80.8
-1.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 £86.7
$104 £78.4
10.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
Antrim
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,691 £1,273
$1,225 £922
38.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,205 £907
$1,011 £761
19.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,959 £2,227
$2,105 £1,584
40.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,184 £1,644
$1,661 £1,250
31.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,388 £4,807
$5,128 £3,859
24.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,514 £3,397
$3,904 £2,938
15.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Edinburgh
Antrim
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,632 £2,733
$3,004 £2,261
20.89%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
4.91
-2.85%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Last update for Antrim: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
$1.2K
Antrim
$1K 16.1% $194
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
$389
Antrim
$326 16.2% $63
Eating Out
Edinburgh
$361
Antrim
$357 1% $3.6
Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
$333
Antrim
$352 5.9% $20
Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
$159
Antrim
$154 3.3% $5.3
Getting Around
Edinburgh
$127
Antrim
$139 9.4% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
$71
Antrim
$63 11.8% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,691 in Edinburgh and $1,225 in Antrim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edinburgh pays 21% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $105 in Edinburgh vs $94 in Antrim. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $352, with Edinburgh cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🇬🇧 Antrim
🕒 Local time
22:05 10:05 PM
22:05 10:05 PM
Same time as Edinburgh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
488,050
20,001
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.753 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.838 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Edinburgh Antrim 240 km
From you
  • Edinburgh
  • Antrim

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 Antrim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Antrim cheaper than Edinburgh?
Antrim is about 9% cheaper overall, especially in leisure and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Edinburgh or Antrim?
Average pay runs 21% higher in Edinburgh, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Edinburgh and Antrim?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,691 in Edinburgh versus $1,225 in Antrim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Edinburgh and in Antrim?
Shoppers in Edinburgh pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
What are total monthly expenses in Edinburgh and in Antrim?
All in, you’ll spend $2,645 per month in Edinburgh versus $2,403 in Antrim – Antrim is about 9% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is it better to live in Edinburgh or in Antrim?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Edinburgh or Antrim?
Safety-wise, Edinburgh and Antrim are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Antrim wins on affordability, Edinburgh on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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