Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Austin, TX Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Austin, TX

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,691 in Edinburgh versus $2,695 in Austin, TX.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,039 in Edinburgh versus $4,184 in Austin, TX.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,386 in Edinburgh versus $5,674 in Austin, TX.

Monthly costs are close between Edinburgh and Austin, TX; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edinburgh 96% above, Austin, TX 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.27 £18.00

$19.82 $19.82

22.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 £81.2

$83.9 $83.9

30.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 £8.09

$12.30 $12.30

-11.30%

Cappuccino

$5.18 £3.84

$5.48 $5.48

-5.47%

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

$2.53 £1.88

$3.72 $3.72

-31.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 £1.61

$2.36 $2.36

-8.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.19 £6.07

$7.76 $7.76

5.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.12 £6.02

$9.14 $9.14

-11.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 £1.30

$1.13 $1.13

55.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 £1.73

$3.75 $3.75

-37.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 £1.73

$3.43 $3.43

-32.07%

Eggs

$5.09 £3.77

$4.35 $4.35

17.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.30 £6.90

$13.14 $13.14

-29.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 £7.08

$14.39 $14.39

-33.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.99 £11.86

$17.20 $17.20

-7.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 £2.23

$4.49 $4.49

-32.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 £1.33

$1.44 $1.44

24.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 £2.57

$4.67 $4.67

-25.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 £2.62

$4.97 $4.97

-28.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 £1.62

$3.00 $3.00

-27.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 £1.13

$2.69 $2.69

-43.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 £0.94

$1.85 $1.85

-31.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 £1.42

$2.18 $2.18

-12.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.28 £18.01

$9.45 $9.45

156.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 £8.38

$15.11 $15.11

-25.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 £2.24

$2.89 $2.89

4.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.35

$3.49 $3.49

-9.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 £2.19

$1.64 $1.64

79.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 £74.8

$40.44 $40.44

149.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.04

$2.81 $2.81

93.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.58 $1.58

23.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.94 £21.47

$35.18 $35.18

-17.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 £1.52

$0.90 $0.90

127.78%

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

$39.3K £29.1K

$35.9K $35.9K

9.42%

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

$41.4K £30.7K

$27.7K $27.7K

49.77%

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

$343 £254

$222 $222

54.43%

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

$17.03 £12.63

$58.3 $58.3

-70.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.01 £31.90

$69.1 $69.1

-37.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.96 £35.57

$66.2 $66.2

-27.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.68 £17.56

$14.76 $14.76

60.43%

Cinema Ticket

$15.04 £11.16

$13.78 $13.78

9.14%

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

$1,824 £1,353

$1,526 $1,526

19.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.5K £18.9K

$21.2K $21.2K

20.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.8 £63.6

$54.6 $54.6

57.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 £37.30

$44.01 $44.01

14.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £79.8

$89.7 $89.7

19.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 £87.9

$109 $109

9.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 £1,220

$1,942 $1,942

-15.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 £912

$1,258 $1,258

-2.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,844 £2,110

$3,762 $3,762

-24.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,187 £1,622

$2,592 $2,592

-15.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,732 £4,993

$7,403 $7,403

-9.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,734 £3,511

$3,203 $3,203

47.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,581 £2,656

$5,085 $5,085

-29.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.78

6.44

-25.78%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: September 1, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,644 in Edinburgh and $1,942 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 42% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $109 in Edinburgh vs $84.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $417, with Edinburgh cheaper for home cooking.

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 Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,644 in Edinburgh versus $1,942 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,824 in Edinburgh versus $1,526 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Edinburgh – a meal for two runs $109 versus $84.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Edinburgh is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Edinburgh delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,691 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Edinburgh hard to pass up.

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

It comes down to priorities – Edinburgh wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.