Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Ayr, South Ayrshire

For one person, living is cheaper in Ayr, South Ayrshire: $1,837 a month against $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 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
88

Cost of Living Index in Ayr, South Ayrshire
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Ayr, South Ayrshire Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,601

/mo nomad

Ayr, South Ayrshire

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Ayr, South Ayrshire

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 Ayr, South Ayrshire actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,601 per month in Edinburgh vs $1,837 in Ayr, South Ayrshire, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,601
Ayr, South Ayrshire $1,837

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,766 in Ayr, South Ayrshire, rent included.

Edinburgh $3,985
Ayr, South Ayrshire $2,766

A family of three spends $5,369 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,695 in Ayr, South Ayrshire, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,369
Ayr, South Ayrshire $3,695

Edinburgh costs about 42% more than Ayr, South Ayrshire, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Edinburgh and Ayr, South Ayrshire sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 92%, Ayr, South Ayrshire by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.67 £17.76

$21.40 £16.05

10.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 £81.4

$78.5 £58.9

38.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £8.04

Cappuccino

$5.25 £3.94

$4.30 £3.23

22.09%

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

$2.48 £1.86

$2.13 £1.60

16.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 £1.63

$1.35 £1.01

60.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.94 £5.96

$5.46 £4.10

45.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.00 £6.00

$6.05 £4.54

32.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 £1.27

$1.14 £0.86

48.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 £1.77

$1.69 £1.27

39.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 £1.77

$0.66 £0.49

257.58%

Eggs

$4.96 £3.72

$2.69 £2.02

84.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 £6.91

$7.38 £5.54

24.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 £7.00

$7.72 £5.79

20.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.79 £11.85

$13.09 £9.82

20.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 £2.26

$2.42 £1.81

24.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 £1.41

$1.21 £0.91

55.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 £2.57

$2.94 £2.20

16.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 £2.75

$2.87 £2.15

27.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 £1.51

$0.91 £0.68

120.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 £1.16

$1.29 £0.96

20.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 £0.99

$0.98 £0.73

34.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 £1.45

$1.36 £1.02

41.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.23 £17.43

$23.33 £17.50

-0.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 £8.40

$11.86 £8.89

-5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 £2.34

$3.22 £2.42

-3.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.46

$3.30 £2.48

-0.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 £2.35

$3.66 £2.74

-14.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.0 £72.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 £4.08

$4.77 £3.58

13.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 £1.37

$3.82 £2.86

-52.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.32 £21.25

$26.22 £19.67

8.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 £1.56

$2.09 £1.57

-0.48%

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

$38.6K £28.9K

$37.8K £28.4K

1.95%

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

$39.9K £29.9K

$34.7K £26.1K

14.80%

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

$328 £246

$245 £184

34.12%

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

$16.47 £12.36

$13.21 £9.91

24.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.32 £31.75

$31.47 £23.61

34.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.41 £33.32

$39.98 £29.99

11.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.05 £17.30

Cinema Ticket

$14.39 £10.79

$13.41 £10.06

7.31%

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

$1,775 £1,331

$1,963 £1,473

-9.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K £19.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 £60.9

$97.7 £73.3

-16.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.04 £36.79

$56.8 £42.58

-13.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £81.2

$123 £92.1

-11.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £85.9

$87.8 £65.9

30.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 £1,200

$745 £559

114.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 £876

$710 £533

64.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,803 £2,103

$1,153 £865

143.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 £1,617

$1,199 £899

79.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,714 £5,037

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,715 £3,538

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,558 £2,669

$3,470 £2,603

2.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

4.5

6.00%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 17, 2026

Last update for Ayr, South Ayrshire: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.2K 44.9%

Ayr, South Ayrshire

$710 38.7% 39.2% $457

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$387 14.9%

Ayr, South Ayrshire

$289 15.8% 25.2% $98

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$359 13.8%

Ayr, South Ayrshire

$308 16.8% 14% $50

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$332 12.8%

Ayr, South Ayrshire

$259 14.1% 21.9% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$159 6.1%

Ayr, South Ayrshire

$164 8.9% 3.4% $5.4

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$124 4.8%

Ayr, South Ayrshire

$38 * 2.1% 69% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$73 2.8%

Ayr, South Ayrshire

$67 3.6% 8.7% $6.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,600 in Edinburgh versus $745 in Ayr, South Ayrshire. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Edinburgh, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Edinburgh versus $79.0 in Ayr, South Ayrshire. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $259 – making Ayr, South Ayrshire the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Ayr, South Ayrshire

🕒 Local time

13:28 1:28 PM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

46,849

💱 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

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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 Ayr, South Ayrshire: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,902 per month in Edinburgh and $2,755 in Ayr, South Ayrshire. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,601 in Edinburgh and $1,837 in Ayr, South Ayrshire. That's a gap of about 42%.

Kindergarten costs $1,775 per month in Edinburgh and $1,963 in Ayr, South Ayrshire. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Ayr, South Ayrshire, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Edinburgh at $2,601. In Ayr, South Ayrshire it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ayr, South Ayrshire – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Ayr, South Ayrshire. 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.