Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Bournemouth

For one person, living is cheaper in Bournemouth: $2,504 a month against $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Bournemouth
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Bournemouth Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

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Bournemouth

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,504

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Bournemouth

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

A single person spends $2,645 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,504 in Bournemouth, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,645
Bournemouth $2,504

A couple spends around $4,021 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,763 in Bournemouth, rent included.

Edinburgh $4,021
Bournemouth $3,763

A family of three spends $5,397 per month in Edinburgh vs $5,021 in Bournemouth, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,397
Bournemouth $5,021

Edinburgh costs about 6% more than Bournemouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Edinburgh and Bournemouth sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 94%, Bournemouth by 84%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.35 £18.19

$20.52 £15.33

18.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 £78.7

$99.2 £74.1

6.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 £7.82

$11.97 £8.94

-12.53%

Cappuccino

$5.02 £3.75

$5.04 £3.76

-0.40%

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

$2.41 £1.80

$3.22 £2.40

-25.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 £1.64

$2.31 £1.73

-5.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 £6.00

$6.66 £4.98

20.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 £5.91

$7.32 £5.47

8.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 £1.31

$1.72 £1.28

1.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 £1.74

$1.50 £1.12

55.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 £1.75

$1.89 £1.41

24.34%

Eggs

$5.13 £3.83

$4.20 £3.14

22.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 £6.76

$6.47 £4.84

39.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 £6.92

$9.11 £6.81

1.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 £12.08

$12.83 £9.58

26.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.28

$2.31 £1.72

32.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.72 £1.29

8.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$1.90 £1.42

76.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 £2.80

$2.21 £1.65

69.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.53

$2.03 £1.52

0.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.29 £0.96

18.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 £1.00

$1.95 £1.46

-31.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.41

$1.73 £1.29

9.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.87 £17.83

$23.41 £17.49

1.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 £8.19

$9.85 £7.36

11.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 £2.36

$2.85 £2.13

10.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.40

$2.40 £1.79

34.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 £2.34

$3.54 £2.64

-11.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 £74.6

$93.2 £69.7

7.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.07

$3.29 £2.46

65.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 £1.42

$2.35 £1.75

-19.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 £21.29

$32.98 £24.63

-13.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 £1.54

$2.01 £1.50

2.49%

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

$38.2K £28.6K

$38.3K £28.6K

-0.22%

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

$39.7K £29.7K

$40.5K £30.3K

-2.04%

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

$329 £246

$363 £272

-9.42%

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

$16.81 £12.56

$16.43 £12.28

2.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.13 £32.22

$43.99 £32.86

-1.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 £31.26

$35.48 £26.51

17.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.33 £17.43

$11.90 £8.89

96.05%

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 £10.96

$17.19 £12.84

-14.66%

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

$1,901 £1,420

$2,155 £1,610

-11.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K £19.3K

$34.3K £25.6K

-24.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 £61.4

$89.2 £66.6

-7.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 £37.36

$43.84 £32.75

14.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £79.0

$83.3 £62.2

26.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £86.1

$140 £105

-17.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 £1,263

$1,339 £1,000

26.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 £900

$1,121 £837

7.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,959 £2,211

$2,655 £1,984

11.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,184 £1,632

$2,027 £1,515

7.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,388 £4,772

$6,597 £4,928

-3.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 £3,372

$4,806 £3,591

-6.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,632 £2,713

$2,984 £2,229

21.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

4.96

-3.83%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bournemouth: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6%

Bournemouth

$1.1K 44.7% 7% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$389 14.7%

Bournemouth

$424 16.9% 8.9% $35

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$361 13.6%

Bournemouth

$331 13.2% 8.4% $30

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.6%

Bournemouth

$277 11% 16.9% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$159 6%

Bournemouth

$161 6.4% 1% $1.6

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$127 4.8%

Bournemouth

$122 4.9% 3.9% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$71 2.7%

Bournemouth

$70 2.8% 1.8% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,691 in Edinburgh versus $1,339 in Bournemouth. 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 22% higher in Edinburgh. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Edinburgh versus $99 in Bournemouth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $277 – making Bournemouth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Bournemouth

🕒 Local time

08:31 8:31 AM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

183,491

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Edinburgh Bournemouth 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Edinburgh
Bournemouth

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 Bournemouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Edinburgh costs about 6% more than Bournemouth, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $3,757 in Bournemouth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bournemouth, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,339 there versus $1,691 in Edinburgh.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Edinburgh, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Edinburgh and $99 in Bournemouth. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,645 in Edinburgh and $2,504 in Bournemouth. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,504 in Bournemouth to $2,645 in Edinburgh. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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