Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Bolton

For one person, living is cheaper in Bolton: $2,228 a month against $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Bolton
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Bolton Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,601

/mo nomad

Bolton

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,228

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Bolton

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

A single person spends $2,601 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,228 in Bolton, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,601
Bolton $2,228

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,272 in Bolton, rent included.

Edinburgh $3,985
Bolton $3,272

A family of three spends $5,369 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,316 in Bolton, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,369
Bolton $4,316

Edinburgh costs about 17% more than Bolton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Edinburgh and Bolton sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 92%, Bolton by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.67 £17.76

$20.04 £15.03

18.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 £81.4

$88.5 £66.4

22.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £8.04

$10.60 £7.96

1.04%

Cappuccino

$5.25 £3.94

$4.90 £3.68

7.14%

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

$2.48 £1.86

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 £1.63

$1.77 £1.33

22.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.94 £5.96

$7.51 £5.63

5.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.00 £6.00

$6.66 £5.00

20.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 £1.27

$1.68 £1.26

0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 £1.77

$1.57 £1.18

49.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 £1.77

$1.92 £1.44

22.92%

Eggs

$4.96 £3.72

$4.08 £3.06

21.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 £6.91

$9.85 £7.39

-6.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 £7.00

$8.68 £6.52

7.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.79 £11.85

$15.22 £11.42

3.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 £2.26

$3.17 £2.38

-5.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 £1.41

$1.94 £1.45

-3.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 £2.57

$3.03 £2.27

12.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 £2.75

$3.42 £2.57

7.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 £1.51

$1.55 £1.16

29.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 £1.16

$1.72 £1.29

-9.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 £0.99

$1.21 £0.91

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 £1.45

$1.27 £0.95

51.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.23 £17.43

$23.39 £17.55

-0.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 £8.40

$10.85 £8.14

3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 £2.34

$2.43 £1.82

28.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.46

$3.04 £2.28

7.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 £2.35

$2.70 £2.02

16.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.0 £72.8

$48.78 £36.59

98.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 £4.08

$4.00 £3.00

35.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 £1.37

$2.21 £1.66

-17.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.32 £21.25

$23.96 £17.98

18.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 £1.56

$2.07 £1.55

0.48%

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

$38.6K £28.9K

$38.8K £29.1K

-0.50%

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

$39.9K £29.9K

$40.1K £30.1K

-0.63%

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

$328 £246

$246 £185

33.30%

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

$16.47 £12.36

$16.21 £12.16

1.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.32 £31.75

$41.86 £31.41

1.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.41 £33.32

$76.9 £57.7

-42.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.05 £17.30

$6.77 £5.08

240.47%

Cinema Ticket

$14.39 £10.79

$13.09 £9.82

9.93%

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

$1,775 £1,331

$1,283 £962

38.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K £19.2K

$19.8K £14.9K

29.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 £60.9

$85.5 £64.2

-5.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.04 £36.79

$41.83 £31.38

17.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £81.2

$88.4 £66.4

22.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £85.9

$87.5 £65.7

30.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 £1,200

$1,245 £934

28.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 £876

$991 £743

17.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,803 £2,103

$1,925 £1,444

45.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 £1,617

$1,543 £1,157

39.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,714 £5,037

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,715 £3,538

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,558 £2,669

$4,089 £3,068

-12.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

4.99

-4.41%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 17, 2026

Last update for Bolton: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.2K 44.9%

Bolton

$991 44.5% 15.1% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$387 14.9%

Bolton

$304 13.7% 21.4% $83

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$359 13.8%

Bolton

$319 14.3% 11.1% $40

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$332 12.8%

Bolton

$300 13.5% 9.6% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$159 6.1%

Bolton

$137 6.1% 14.1% $22

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$124 4.8%

Bolton

$75 3.4% 39.9% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$73 2.8%

Bolton

$103 4.6% 40.8% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,600 in Edinburgh versus $1,245 in Bolton. 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 Bolton, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Edinburgh versus $89.0 in Bolton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $300 – making Bolton the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Bolton

🕒 Local time

04:20 4:20 AM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

139,403

💱 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

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Edinburgh Bolton 270 km

From you

Edinburgh
Bolton

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 Bolton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,902 per month in Edinburgh and $3,342 in Bolton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bolton, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 99% less in Bolton. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,775 per month in Edinburgh and $1,283 in Bolton. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Bolton, where all-in costs run around $2,228, than in Edinburgh at $2,601. In Bolton it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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