Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Belfast Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Belfast

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,772 in Edinburgh versus $2,137 in Belfast.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,140 in Edinburgh versus $3,240 in Belfast.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,508 in Edinburgh versus $4,343 in Belfast.

Living in Edinburgh is roughly 30% more expensive than in Belfast, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edinburgh 107% above, Belfast 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.15 £15.00

$22.96 £17.09

-12.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 £74.9

$107 £79.8

-6.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 £7.45

$10.85 £8.08

-7.83%

Cappuccino

$5.41 £4.03

$4.58 £3.41

18.12%

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

$2.51 £1.87

$2.64 £1.96

-4.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 £1.51

$2.07 £1.54

-1.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.52 £5.60

$8.27 £6.16

-9.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 £5.07

$6.82 £5.08

-0.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.81 £1.35

-7.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 £1.30

$1.98 £1.48

-12.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 £1.55

$2.84 £2.11

-26.76%

Eggs

$4.25 £3.17

$3.92 £2.92

8.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 £9.04

$10.31 £7.67

17.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.48 £7.80

$10.63 £7.91

-1.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 £13.94

$13.54 £10.08

38.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 £2.33

$3.24 £2.41

-3.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 £1.16

$1.93 £1.44

-19.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 £3.07

$3.36 £2.50

22.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 £3.42

$4.02 £2.99

14.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 £1.36

$1.76 £1.31

3.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 £1.07

$1.41 £1.05

1.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 £0.91

$1.44 £1.07

-15.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 £1.01

$1.52 £1.13

-11.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.18 £15.02

$20.63 £15.36

-2.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 £8.32

$11.08 £8.25

0.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 £1.86

$2.70 £2.01

-7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 £2.45

$3.73 £2.78

-11.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 £2.01

$3.04 £2.26

-11.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.4 £66.6

$87.3 £65.0

2.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.31 £3.95

$5.59 £4.16

-5.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.01 £2.24

$1.70 £1.27

77.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.48 £31.63

$27.00 £20.10

57.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.96 £1.46

-1.02%

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

$38.8K £28.9K

$38.5K £28.7K

0.73%

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

$39.9K £29.7K

$42.7K £31.8K

-6.68%

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

$381 £283

$146 £109

160.43%

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

$17.69 £13.17

$18.28 £13.61

-3.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.83 £32.63

$42.69 £31.78

2.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 £39.91

$47.00 £34.99

14.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.17 £17.99

$15.74 £11.72

53.56%

Cinema Ticket

$15.01 £11.18

$13.70 £10.20

9.56%

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

$1,937 £1,442

$1,506 £1,121

28.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K £17.7K

$8,861 £6,597

168.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £88.8

$85.3 £63.5

39.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.6 £40.63

$48.43 £36.06

12.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 £87.4

$106 £78.7

11.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 £91.3

$86.0 £64.0

42.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 £1,203

$1,237 £921

30.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 £918

$954 £711

29.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 £2,306

$1,954 £1,455

58.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,186 £1,627

$1,442 £1,073

51.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,544 £4,872

$4,155 £3,093

57.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,733 £3,523

$2,578 £1,920

83.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,601 £2,681

$3,080 £2,293

16.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

5.62

0.18%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: July 13, 2026

Last update for Belfast: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,616 in Edinburgh and $1,237 in Belfast. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edinburgh pays 17% 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: $101 in Edinburgh vs $107 in Belfast. Groceries flip the comparison at $340 vs $326, with Belfast cheaper for home cooking.

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 Belfast: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belfast is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 17% higher in Edinburgh, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,616 in Edinburgh versus $1,237 in Belfast. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,937 in Edinburgh versus $1,506 in Belfast. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Edinburgh. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,137 in Belfast versus $2,772 in Edinburgh, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Belfast but tight or insufficient in Edinburgh. The gap between the two cities makes Belfast the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Belfast is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Edinburgh, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Edinburgh and Belfast are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Belfast gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Edinburgh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.