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: $2,767 in Edinburgh versus $2,156 in Belfast.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,064 in Edinburgh versus $3,224 in Belfast.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,361 in Edinburgh versus $4,291 in Belfast.

Living in Edinburgh is roughly 28% more expensive than Belfast, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edinburgh 106% above, Belfast 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.73 £15.44

$23.48 £17.49

-11.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 £77.1

$103 £77.0

0.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 £7.41

$10.93 £8.14

-8.97%

Cappuccino

$5.32 £3.97

$4.78 £3.56

11.30%

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

$2.61 £1.94

$2.63 £1.96

-0.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 £1.50

$2.12 £1.58

-5.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.64 £5.69

$7.96 £5.93

-4.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 £5.16

$6.89 £5.13

0.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.23

$1.88 £1.40

-12.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.29

$1.98 £1.48

-12.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 £1.62

$2.85 £2.13

-23.51%

Eggs

$4.37 £3.26

$3.85 £2.87

13.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 £8.88

$10.36 £7.71

15.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 £7.63

$10.55 £7.86

-2.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.87 £14.06

$13.33 £9.93

41.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 £2.40

$3.40 £2.53

-5.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.11

$1.93 £1.44

-22.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 £3.09

$3.42 £2.55

21.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 £3.53

$4.01 £2.99

18.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 £1.36

$1.74 £1.29

4.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 £1.06

$1.47 £1.09

-3.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.87

$1.45 £1.08

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 £0.99

$1.46 £1.09

-8.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.21 £15.05

$20.76 £15.46

-2.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.36 £8.46

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 £1.86

$2.71 £2.02

-7.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.44

$3.76 £2.80

-13.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 £1.97

$3.06 £2.28

-13.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.4 £66.6

$85.5 £63.7

4.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.16

$5.51 £4.11

1.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 £2.34

$1.66 £1.24

89.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.77 £31.85

$26.69 £19.88

60.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$38.2K £28.4K

0.12%

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

$38.8K £28.9K

$42.0K £31.3K

-7.48%

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

$381 £284

$146 £109

160.77%

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

$17.32 £12.90

$18.31 £13.64

-5.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.43 £33.09

$42.58 £31.72

4.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 £40.59

$47.13 £35.10

15.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.51 £18.26

$15.83 £11.79

54.83%

Cinema Ticket

$14.73 £10.97

$13.62 £10.15

8.15%

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

$1,944 £1,448

$1,502 £1,119

29.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K £18.0K

$8,812 £6,563

173.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 £88.1

$85.1 £63.4

38.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 £41.42

$47.21 £35.16

17.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 £86.6

$108 £80.5

7.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 £93.6

$84.5 £63.0

48.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 £1,231

$1,254 £934

31.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 £895

$955 £711

25.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,062 £2,281

$1,960 £1,460

56.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,168 £1,615

$1,459 £1,087

48.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,616 £4,928

$4,291 £3,196

54.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,869 £3,627

$2,597 £1,935

87.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,659 £2,725

$3,008 £2,240

21.63%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Belfast: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Edinburgh and $1,254 in Belfast. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edinburgh pays 22% 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: $104 in Edinburgh vs $103 in Belfast for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $327 per month, with Belfast cheaper across the board.

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 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Edinburgh pays 22% more on average, 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: $1,653 in Edinburgh versus $1,254 in Belfast. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,944 in Edinburgh versus $1,502 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 $2,156 in Belfast versus $2,767 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 28% less than in Edinburgh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.