Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Ashford

For one person, living is cheaper in Ashford: $2,427 a month against $2,617 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Ashford
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Ashford Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,617

/mo nomad

Ashford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,427

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Ashford

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,617 in Edinburgh versus $2,427 in Ashford.

Edinburgh $2,617
Ashford $2,427

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,956 in Edinburgh versus $3,351 in Ashford.

Edinburgh $3,956
Ashford $3,351

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,295 in Edinburgh versus $4,276 in Ashford.

Edinburgh $5,295
Ashford $4,276

Living in Edinburgh is roughly 8% more expensive than in Ashford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edinburgh 94% above, Ashford 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.64 £17.73

$20.96 £15.73

12.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 £78.2

$79.9 £60.0

30.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 £7.86

$10.49 £7.87

-0.10%

Cappuccino

$5.08 £3.81

$5.74 £4.30

-11.50%

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

$2.50 £1.87

$2.74 £2.05

-8.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 £1.61

$1.82 £1.37

18.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 £6.04

$3.89 £2.92

107.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 £6.10

$7.09 £5.32

14.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.26

$1.48 £1.11

13.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 £1.71

$1.32 £0.99

73.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 £1.69

$1.69 £1.26

33.14%

Eggs

$5.05 £3.79

$3.00 £2.25

68.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 £6.79

$5.22 £3.92

73.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 £7.12

$6.91 £5.18

37.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.12 £12.10

$14.39 £10.79

12.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.29

$3.28 £2.46

-7.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 £1.45

$1.44 £1.08

34.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 £2.52

$2.67 £2.01

25.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 £2.76

$3.17 £2.38

16.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 £1.55

$1.67 £1.25

23.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 £1.16

$1.46 £1.09

5.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.94

$1.44 £1.08

-13.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.42 £1.07

36.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.67 £17.76

$18.83 £14.13

25.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 £8.35

$9.24 £6.93

20.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.42

$2.67 £2.00

20.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 £2.40

$3.63 £2.73

-12.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.20 £2.40

$3.89 £2.92

-17.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.7 £72.6

$146 £110

-33.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.18 £3.89

$6.11 £4.58

-15.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 £1.40

$1.68 £1.26

10.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.69 £21.52

$21.44 £16.08

33.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.60

$2.07 £1.55

3.38%

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

$38.6K £29.0K

$35.0K £26.2K

10.52%

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

$41.2K £30.9K

$41.1K £30.9K

0.08%

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

$330 £248

$244 £183

35.41%

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

$16.39 £12.30

$24.30 £18.23

-32.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.15 £31.63

$38.52 £28.90

9.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.13 £33.11

$61.3 £45.99

-28.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 £17.28

$18.74 £14.06

22.95%

Cinema Ticket

$14.30 £10.73

$21.45 £16.10

-33.33%

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

$1,759 £1,319

$1,076 £808

63.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K £19.0K

$19.8K £14.9K

27.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 £60.4

$69.5 £52.1

15.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.45 £37.10

$31.50 £23.63

56.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £79.2

$76.7 £57.6

37.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £86.0

$100 £75.1

14.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,611 £1,209

$1,115 £836

44.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 £889

$1,133 £850

4.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 £2,054

$1,708 £1,282

60.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 £1,580

$1,425 £1,069

47.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,632 £4,976

$6,328 £4,748

4.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,609 £3,458

$4,671 £3,504

-1.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,522 £2,642

$2,452 £1,840

43.60%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Ashford: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.3%

Ashford

$1.1K 46.7% 4.4% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$389 14.9%

Ashford

$307 12.6% 21.1% $82

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$357 13.6%

Ashford

$320 13.2% 10.3% $37

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.7%

Ashford

$262 10.8% 21.4% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$158 6%

Ashford

$125 5.2% 20.7% $33

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$124 4.7%

Ashford

$176 7.3% 42.3% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$73 2.8%

Ashford

$104 4.3% 43.3% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,611 in Edinburgh and $1,115 in Ashford. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edinburgh pays 44% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $104 in Edinburgh vs $80.0 in Ashford for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $262 per month, with Ashford cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Ashford

🕒 Local time

05:26 5:26 AM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

58,936

💱 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

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Between locations

Edinburgh Ashford 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Edinburgh
Ashford

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 Ashford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ashford is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 44% higher in Edinburgh, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,611 in Edinburgh versus $1,115 in Ashford. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ashford – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $104 in Edinburgh. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,617 per month in Edinburgh versus $2,427 in Ashford – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,427 in Ashford versus $2,617 in Edinburgh, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ashford but tight or insufficient in Edinburgh. The gap between the two cities makes Ashford the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ashford is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Edinburgh, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Edinburgh and Ashford are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ashford gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Edinburgh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.