Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Bournemouth Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Bournemouth

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,718 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,491 in Bournemouth, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,120 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,726 in Bournemouth, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,521 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,960 in Bournemouth, rent included.

Edinburgh costs about 9% more than Bournemouth, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Edinburgh and Bournemouth sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 102%, Bournemouth by 85%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.99 £14.82

$20.24 £15.00

-1.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 £76.1

$93.7 £69.4

9.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 £7.31

$9.38 £6.95

5.22%

Cappuccino

$5.33 £3.95

$4.31 £3.19

23.67%

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

$2.52 £1.86

$2.28 £1.69

10.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 £1.45

$1.77 £1.31

10.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.33 £5.43

$6.72 £4.98

9.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 £4.94

$5.54 £4.11

20.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.70 £1.26

-4.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.24 £0.92

40.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 £1.54

$2.55 £1.89

-18.82%

Eggs

$4.41 £3.27

$3.31 £2.45

33.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.78 £8.73

$9.58 £7.10

22.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.59 £7.85

$7.00 £5.19

51.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.60 £13.78

$13.57 £10.05

37.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 £2.34

$2.72 £2.01

16.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 £1.14

$1.43 £1.06

7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 £3.07

$2.33 £1.73

78.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 £3.53

$2.22 £1.64

114.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 £1.31

$1.78 £1.32

-1.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 £1.06

$1.30 £0.96

10.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 £0.89

$0.95 £0.70

26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 £0.98

$1.46 £1.08

-8.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.25 £15.00

$21.90 £16.23

-7.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 £7.93

$10.08 £7.47

6.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 £1.95

$2.69 £1.99

-2.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.43

$2.48 £1.84

31.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 £1.96

$2.65 £1.97

-0.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.3 £65.4

$86.2 £63.9

2.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 £4.00

$3.99 £2.95

35.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 £2.28

$1.99 £1.47

54.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.53 £32.25

$26.19 £19.41

66.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.90 £1.41

-1.58%

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

$37.7K £27.9K

$38.2K £28.3K

-1.47%

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

$39.6K £29.3K

$39.3K £29.1K

0.65%

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

$378 £280

$347 £257

8.92%

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

$17.18 £12.73

$16.06 £11.90

6.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.60 £32.31

$45.11 £33.43

-3.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 £40.22

$40.00 £29.64

35.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.78 £18.36

$12.80 £9.48

93.59%

Cinema Ticket

$14.99 £11.11

$16.23 £12.03

-7.64%

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

$1,888 £1,399

$2,270 £1,682

-16.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K £17.5K

$35.3K £26.1K

-33.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 £86.9

$86.5 £64.1

35.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 £40.91

$48.04 £35.60

14.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 £85.5

$103 £76.3

12.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 £92.2

$91.0 £67.4

36.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,666 £1,235

$1,342 £994

24.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 £919

$1,171 £868

5.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,075 £2,278

$2,849 £2,111

7.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 £1,617

$2,196 £1,627

-0.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,772 £5,018

$6,829 £5,060

-0.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,908 £3,637

$4,370 £3,238

12.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,670 £2,719

$3,258 £2,414

12.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

5.82

-3.26%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: April 12, 2026

Last update for Bournemouth: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,666 in Edinburgh versus $1,342 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 13% 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 $103 in Edinburgh versus $94 in Bournemouth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $339 vs $268 – making Bournemouth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 9% more than Bournemouth, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,078 per month in Edinburgh and $3,737 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Edinburgh, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $103 in Edinburgh and $94.0 in Bournemouth. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bournemouth, where all-in costs run around $2,491, than in Edinburgh at $2,718. In Bournemouth it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bournemouth costs $2,491 versus $2,718 in Edinburgh. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Bournemouth. 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.