Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Basildon

For one person, living is cheaper in Basildon: $2,315 a month against $2,724 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
Learn more

Edinburgh Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Basildon
Learn more

Basildon Living Index

Jump to prices

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,724

/mo nomad

Basildon

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,315

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Basildon

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

A single person spends $2,724 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,315 in Basildon, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,724
Basildon $2,315

A couple spends around $4,109 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,564 in Basildon, rent included.

Edinburgh $4,109
Basildon $3,564

A family of three spends $5,494 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,813 in Basildon, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,494
Basildon $4,813

Edinburgh costs about 18% more than Basildon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Edinburgh and Basildon sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 101%, Basildon by 71%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.24 £18.02

$23.06 £17.14

5.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 £80.4

$92.2 £68.5

17.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.67 £7.93

$8.57 £6.37

24.50%

Cappuccino

$5.10 £3.79

$4.74 £3.52

7.59%

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

$2.48 £1.85

$2.86 £2.12

-13.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 £1.66

$1.55 £1.15

44.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 £5.81

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 £6.05

$3.96 £2.94

105.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.61 £1.20

8.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 £1.73

$1.75 £1.30

32.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 £1.74

$2.52 £1.87

-7.14%

Eggs

$4.90 £3.65

$4.11 £3.06

19.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 £6.96

$9.67 £7.19

-3.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 £7.15

$4.50 £3.34

113.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.82 £11.75

$11.89 £8.83

33.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.30

$3.07 £2.28

0.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.30 £0.97

46.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 £2.43

$3.72 £2.76

-12.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 £2.66

$3.54 £2.63

0.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 £1.48

$1.54 £1.14

29.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.89 £1.40

-16.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 £0.96

$1.09 £0.81

18.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 £1.44

$1.31 £0.97

47.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.15 £17.95

$20.45 £15.20

18.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 £8.04

$10.99 £8.17

-1.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 £2.36

$3.26 £2.42

-2.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.43

$1.64 £1.22

99.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 £2.44

$2.71 £2.01

21.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 £74.9

$67.7 £50.4

48.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 £3.93

$8.08 £6.01

-34.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 £1.80

$1.71 £1.27

42.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.91 £34.86

$20.09 £14.93

133.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 £1.64

$1.86 £1.38

18.82%

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

$38.5K £28.6K

$38.4K £28.6K

0.25%

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

$40.5K £30.1K

$39.9K £29.7K

1.32%

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

$335 £249

$341 £253

-1.71%

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

$16.31 £12.12

$19.13 £14.21

-14.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.88 £30.38

$36.03 £26.78

13.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.45 £31.55

$45.45 £33.78

-6.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.02 £17.86

$13.33 £9.91

80.20%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 £11.16

$14.13 £10.50

6.30%

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

$1,869 £1,389

$2,565 £1,906

-27.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K £19.4K

$34.3K £25.5K

-24.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.9 £62.3

$77.1 £57.3

8.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.78 £35.51

$48.29 £35.89

-1.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.5

$54.5 £40.51

98.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 £88.5

$53.9 £40.03

121.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 £1,243

$1,684 £1,252

-0.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,273 £946

$1,041 £773

22.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,012 £2,238

$2,425 £1,803

24.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,247 £1,670

$2,048 £1,522

9.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,479 £4,815

$5,371 £3,992

20.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,429 £3,292

$3,358 £2,496

31.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,796 £2,821

$2,983 £2,217

27.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

5.04

-5.36%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 31, 2026

Last update for Basildon: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.3K 46.7%

Basildon

$1K 45% 18.3% $232

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$392 14.4%

Basildon

$396 17.1% 1% $3.8

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$361 13.3%

Basildon

$332 14.3% 8.2% $30

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.2%

Basildon

$273 11.8% 17.9% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$162 5.9%

Basildon

$105 4.5% 34.9% $56

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$131 4.8%

Basildon

$95 4.1% 27.5% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$72 2.7%

Basildon

$74 3.2% 1.7% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,673 in Edinburgh versus $1,684 in Basildon. 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 27% higher in Edinburgh. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Edinburgh versus $92 in Basildon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $273 – making Basildon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Basildon

🕒 Local time

21:51 9:51 PM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

184,479

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.35 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.35 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Edinburgh Basildon 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Edinburgh
Basildon

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 Basildon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Edinburgh costs about 18% more than Basildon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,086 per month in Edinburgh and $3,473 in Basildon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,673 in Edinburgh and $1,684 in Basildon. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,724 in Edinburgh and $2,315 in Basildon. That makes Basildon about 15% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 33% less in Basildon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,724 in Edinburgh and $2,315 in Basildon. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,315 in Basildon to $2,724 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.

If budget matters most, go with Basildon. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Edinburgh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.