Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Bathgate

For one person, living is cheaper in Bathgate: $2,247 a month against $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Bathgate
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Bathgate Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

Bathgate

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,247

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Bathgate

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

A single person spends $2,645 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,247 in Bathgate, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,645
Bathgate $2,247

A couple spends around $4,021 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,301 in Bathgate, rent included.

Edinburgh $4,021
Bathgate $3,301

A family of three spends $5,397 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,356 in Bathgate, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,397
Bathgate $4,356

Edinburgh costs about 18% more than Bathgate, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Edinburgh and Bathgate sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 94%, Bathgate by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.35 £18.32

$20.01 £15.06

21.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 £79.2

$65.3 £49.11

61.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 £7.88

$10.59 £7.97

-1.13%

Cappuccino

$5.02 £3.78

$4.84 £3.64

3.72%

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

$2.41 £1.82

$1.84 £1.38

30.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 £1.65

$1.08 £0.81

102.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 £6.05

$3.97 £2.98

102.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 £5.95

$4.79 £3.60

65.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 £1.32

$1.42 £1.07

23.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 £1.75

$1.93 £1.45

20.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 £1.77

$2.27 £1.71

3.52%

Eggs

$5.13 £3.86

$3.69 £2.78

39.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 £6.81

$9.62 £7.24

-5.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 £6.97

$8.87 £6.68

4.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 £12.17

$14.55 £10.95

11.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.29

$2.83 £2.13

7.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 £1.41

$1.87 £1.40

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 £2.52

$2.79 £2.10

20.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 £2.83

$3.46 £2.61

8.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.54

$1.75 £1.32

17.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.15

$1.43 £1.07

6.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 £1.00

$1.15 £0.87

15.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.42

$1.42 £1.07

33.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.87 £17.96

$20.47 £15.41

16.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 £8.25

$10.72 £8.07

2.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 £2.37

$3.07 £2.31

2.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.42

$3.45 £2.60

-6.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 £2.36

$3.54 £2.67

-11.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 £75.1

$95.8 £72.1

4.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.10

$6.52 £4.91

-16.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 £1.43

$1.60 £1.20

18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 £21.45

$28.06 £21.12

1.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 £1.55

$2.09 £1.57

-1.44%

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

$38.2K £28.8K

$38.7K £29.1K

-1.19%

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

$39.7K £29.9K

$40.1K £30.2K

-1.02%

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

$329 £248

$244 £183

35.20%

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

$16.81 £12.65

$16.58 £12.48

1.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.13 £32.46

$41.68 £31.37

3.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 £31.49

$47.07 £35.43

-11.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.33 £17.56

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 £11.04

$10.82 £8.15

35.58%

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

$1,901 £1,430

$1,245 £937

52.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K £19.4K

$17.4K £13.1K

47.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 £61.8

$90.8 £68.3

-9.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 £37.63

$48.15 £36.24

3.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £79.6

$107 £80.8

-1.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £86.7

$94.3 £71.0

22.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 £1,273

$1,233 £928

37.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 £907

$1,006 £757

19.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,959 £2,227

$2,088 £1,571

41.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,184 £1,644

$1,689 £1,271

29.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,388 £4,807

$5,025 £3,782

27.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 £3,397

$3,899 £2,935

15.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,632 £2,733

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

5.15

-7.38%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bathgate: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6%

Bathgate

$1K 44.8% 16.5% $199

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$389 14.7%

Bathgate

$302 13.4% 22.5% $87

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$361 13.6%

Bathgate

$291 13% 19.3% $70

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.6%

Bathgate

$301 13.4% 9.4% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$159 6%

Bathgate

$153 6.8% 3.6% $5.6

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$127 4.8%

Bathgate

$124 5.5% 2.2% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$71 2.7%

Bathgate

$69 3.1% 3.4% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,691 in Edinburgh versus $1,233 in Bathgate. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Edinburgh versus $65 in Bathgate. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $301 – making Bathgate the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Bathgate

🕒 Local time

22:53 10:53 PM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

23,600

💱 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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Between locations

Edinburgh Bathgate 29 km

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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 Bathgate: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,968 per month in Edinburgh and $3,370 in Bathgate. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bathgate, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,233 there versus $1,691 in Edinburgh.

Public transport costs about 4% less in Bathgate. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,901 per month in Edinburgh and $1,245 in Bathgate. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,645 in Edinburgh and $2,247 in Bathgate. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Bathgate is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 15% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.