Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Bedford

For one person, living is cheaper in Bedford: $2,117 a month against $2,724 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
Learn more

Edinburgh Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Bedford
Learn more

Bedford Living Index

Jump to prices

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,724

/mo nomad

Bedford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Bedford

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

A single person spends $2,724 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,117 in Bedford, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,724
Bedford $2,117

A couple spends around $4,109 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,333 in Bedford, rent included.

Edinburgh $4,109
Bedford $3,333

A family of three spends $5,494 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,549 in Bedford, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,494
Bedford $4,549

Edinburgh costs about 29% more than Bedford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Edinburgh and Bedford sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 101%, Bedford by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.24 £17.98

$19.85 £14.72

22.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 £80.3

$88.8 £65.9

21.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.67 £7.91

$10.89 £8.08

-2.02%

Cappuccino

$5.10 £3.78

$4.54 £3.36

12.33%

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

$2.48 £1.84

$2.00 £1.48

24.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 £1.66

$1.18 £0.87

89.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 £5.80

$6.72 £4.98

16.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 £6.03

$5.98 £4.43

36.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.73 £1.28

0.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 £1.72

$1.49 £1.10

55.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 £1.73

$1.64 £1.22

42.68%

Eggs

$4.90 £3.64

$3.81 £2.83

28.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 £6.95

$9.42 £6.99

-0.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 £7.14

$8.63 £6.40

11.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.82 £11.73

$12.96 £9.61

22.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.29

$3.35 £2.49

-7.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.34 £0.99

42.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 £2.43

$2.54 £1.88

28.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 £2.65

$3.12 £2.31

14.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 £1.48

$1.34 £0.99

48.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.16

$1.36 £1.01

15.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 £0.96

$1.04 £0.77

24.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 £1.43

$1.35 £1.00

42.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.15 £17.91

$23.59 £17.50

2.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 £8.02

$10.80 £8.01

0.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 £2.36

$2.66 £1.97

19.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.43

$2.46 £1.83

32.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 £2.44

$2.61 £1.93

26.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 £74.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 £3.93

$5.05 £3.74

4.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 £1.80

$1.64 £1.21

48.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.91 £34.79

$20.36 £15.10

130.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 £1.64

$1.97 £1.46

12.18%

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

$38.5K £28.6K

$39.2K £29.0K

-1.66%

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

$40.5K £30.0K

$40.4K £30.0K

0.21%

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

$335 £248

$316 £234

5.93%

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

$16.31 £12.09

$17.74 £13.15

-8.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.88 £30.32

$39.87 £29.57

2.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.45 £31.48

$38.18 £28.31

11.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.02 £17.82

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 £11.14

$16.11 £11.95

-6.77%

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

$1,869 £1,386

$1,366 £1,013

36.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K £19.3K

$23.7K £17.6K

9.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.9 £62.2

$23.98 £17.79

249.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.78 £35.43

$25.73 £19.08

85.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.3

$79.6 £59.1

35.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 £88.3

$88.8 £65.9

34.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 £1,240

$1,126 £835

48.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,273 £944

$965 £716

31.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,012 £2,233

$2,461 £1,825

22.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,247 £1,666

$2,037 £1,511

10.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,479 £4,805

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,429 £3,284

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,796 £2,815

$3,303 £2,450

14.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

4.67

2.14%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 31, 2026

Last update for Bedford: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.3K 46.7%

Bedford

$965 45.6% 24.2% $308

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$392 14.4%

Bedford

$374 17.7% 4.7% $18

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$361 13.3%

Bedford

$304 14.4% 15.8% $57

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.2%

Bedford

$282 13.3% 15.4% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$162 5.9%

Bedford

$98 4.6% 39.2% $63

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$131 4.8%

Bedford

$24 * 1.1% 82% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$72 2.7%

Bedford

$70 3.3% 2.9% $2.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,673 in Edinburgh versus $1,126 in Bedford. 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 15% 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 $89 in Bedford. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $282 – making Bedford the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Bedford

🕒 Local time

12:16 12:16 PM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

80,000

💱 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 Bedford 460 km

From you

Edinburgh
Bedford

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 Bedford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Edinburgh costs about 29% more than Bedford, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $3,175 in Bedford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bedford, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,126 there versus $1,673 in Edinburgh.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,724 in Edinburgh and $2,117 in Bedford. That makes Bedford about 22% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,869 per month in Edinburgh and $1,366 in Bedford. 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 $2,724 in Edinburgh and $2,117 in Bedford. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Bedford – 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.

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