Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Bath

For one person, living is cheaper in Edinburgh: $2,601 a month against $2,794 in Bath, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bath outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,601
/mo nomad
Bath
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,794
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Bath

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,601 in Edinburgh versus $2,794 in Bath.

  • Edinburgh $2,601
  • Bath $2,794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,985 in Edinburgh versus $4,002 in Bath.

  • Edinburgh $3,985
  • Bath $4,002

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,369 in Edinburgh versus $5,210 in Bath.

  • Edinburgh $5,369
  • Bath $5,210

Living in Edinburgh costs roughly 7% less than in Bath, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edinburgh 92% above, Bath 106% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Edinburgh
Bath
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.67 £17.76
$23.73 £17.80
-0.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$108 £81.4
$101 £75.8
7.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 £8.04
$10.78 £8.09
-0.65%
Cappuccino
$5.25 £3.94
$5.14 £3.86
2.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 £1.86
$2.59 £1.95
-4.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 £1.63
$1.85 £1.39
17.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.94 £5.96
$7.81 £5.86
1.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.00 £6.00
$6.46 £4.85
23.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
Bath
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 £1.27
$1.57 £1.18
7.64%
White Bread (500g)
$2.35 £1.77
$1.70 £1.28
38.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.36 £1.77
$2.02 £1.52
16.83%
Eggs
$4.96 £3.72
$4.24 £3.18
16.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.20 £6.91
$8.48 £6.36
8.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.33 £7.00
$9.69 £7.27
-3.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.79 £11.85
$13.05 £9.79
21.00%
Apples (1kg)
$3.01 £2.26
$4.22 £3.16
-28.67%
Banana (1kg)
$1.88 £1.41
$1.81 £1.36
3.87%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.42 £2.57
$2.71 £2.03
26.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.67 £2.75
$4.00 £3.00
-8.25%
Potato (1kg)
$2.01 £1.51
$2.08 £1.56
-3.37%
Onion (1kg)
$1.55 £1.16
$1.71 £1.28
-9.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.32 £0.99
$1.22 £0.91
8.20%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 £1.45
$1.96 £1.47
-1.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.23 £17.43
$23.05 £17.29
0.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.20 £8.40
$10.68 £8.01
4.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.12 £2.34
$2.85 £2.14
9.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27 £2.46
$3.20 £2.40
2.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Edinburgh
Bath
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 £2.35
$3.56 £2.67
-11.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$97.0 £72.8
$127 £95.6
-23.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.43 £4.08
$3.36 £2.52
61.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.82 £1.37
$1.71 £1.28
6.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.32 £21.25
$26.26 £19.70
7.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.08 £1.56
$2.08 £1.56
-
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
$40.3K £30.3K
-1.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
Bath
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$328 £246
$300 £225
9.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.47 £12.36
$19.61 £14.71
-16.01%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.32 £31.75
$38.83 £29.13
8.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
Bath
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.41 £33.32
$45.16 £33.88
-1.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.05 £17.30
$19.59 £14.70
17.66%
Cinema Ticket
$14.39 £10.79
$15.03 £11.28
-4.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Edinburgh
Bath
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,775 £1,331
$1,631 £1,224
8.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K £19.2K
$25.1K £18.9K
1.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
Bath
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$81.2 £60.9
$83.6 £62.7
-2.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.04 £36.79
$30.68 £23.02
59.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 £81.2
$99.0 £74.3
9.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 £85.9
$82.9 £62.2
38.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
Bath
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,600 £1,200
$1,804 £1,353
-11.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,168 £876
$1,406 £1,055
-16.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,803 £2,103
$3,506 £2,630
-20.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,155 £1,617
$2,105 £1,579
2.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,714 £5,037
$9,965 £7,476
-32.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,715 £3,538
$6,723 £5,043
-29.86%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Edinburgh
Bath
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,558 £2,669
$3,687 £2,766
-3.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
5.11
-6.65%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 17, 2026

Last update for Bath: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
$1.2K
Bath
$1.4K 20.4% $238
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
$387
Bath
$359 7.3% $28
Eating Out
Edinburgh
$359
Bath
$354 1.4% $5
Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
$332
Bath
$314 5.5% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
$159
Bath
$133 16.1% $26
Getting Around
Edinburgh
$124
Bath
$154 23.8% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
$73
Bath
$75 2.8% $2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,600 in Edinburgh and $1,804 in Bath. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bath pays 4% 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: $108 in Edinburgh vs $101 in Bath for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $314 per month, with Bath cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🇬🇧 Bath
🕒 Local time
14:16 2:16 PM
14:16 2:16 PM
Same time as Edinburgh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
488,050
88,859
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Edinburgh Bath 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Edinburgh
  • Bath

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 Bath: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bath cheaper than Edinburgh?
Edinburgh is cheaper overall, especially in transport and leisure. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Edinburgh or Bath?
On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Bath. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Edinburgh and Bath?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,600 in Edinburgh versus $1,804 in Bath. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Edinburgh and in Bath?
All in, you'll spend $2,601 per month in Edinburgh versus $2,794 in Bath – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Edinburgh runs roughly 31% less than in Bath. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Edinburgh or in Bath?
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.
Is Edinburgh or Bath more family-friendly?
For families, Edinburgh is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bath, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Edinburgh or Bath?
Safety-wise, Edinburgh and Bath are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Edinburgh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Bath. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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