Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Brecon Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Brecon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,722 in Edinburgh versus $2,437 in Brecon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,091 in Edinburgh versus $3,611 in Brecon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,461 in Edinburgh versus $4,785 in Brecon.

Living in Edinburgh is roughly 12% more expensive than in Brecon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edinburgh 97% above, Brecon 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.69 £18.25

$21.74 £16.07

13.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 £80.7

$112 £83.0

-2.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 £7.87

$10.93 £8.08

-2.56%

Cappuccino

$5.22 £3.86

$5.36 £3.96

-2.61%

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

$2.44 £1.80

$2.83 £2.09

-13.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 £1.64

$1.95 £1.44

13.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 £5.84

$8.16 £6.03

-3.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 £6.06

$6.97 £5.15

17.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 £1.32

$1.52 £1.13

17.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 £1.80

$1.70 £1.25

42.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 £1.72

$2.02 £1.49

15.35%

Eggs

$5.06 £3.74

$4.53 £3.34

11.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.14 £6.76

$8.69 £6.43

5.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 £7.04

$9.65 £7.13

-1.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 £11.86

$14.63 £10.82

9.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 £2.26

$3.11 £2.30

-1.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 £1.39

$1.82 £1.34

3.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 £2.54

$2.64 £1.95

29.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 £2.72

$4.20 £3.11

-12.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 £1.62

$2.11 £1.56

3.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.16

$1.56 £1.15

0.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 £0.94

$1.22 £0.90

4.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.40

$2.03 £1.50

-6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.18 £17.87

$23.62 £17.46

2.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.45 £8.46

$10.86 £8.03

5.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 £2.22

$2.95 £2.18

2.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 £2.43

$3.60 £2.66

-8.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 £2.25

$3.16 £2.33

-3.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.5 £72.8

$104 £77.0

-5.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.44 £4.02

$3.57 £2.64

52.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 £1.37

$1.65 £1.22

12.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.19 £21.58

$27.40 £20.25

6.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.58

$2.11 £1.56

1.42%

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

$38.7K £28.6K

$39.6K £29.2K

-2.12%

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

$42.2K £31.2K

$41.8K £30.9K

0.88%

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

$341 £252

$333 £246

2.60%

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

$16.45 £12.16

$17.19 £12.70

-4.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.79 £32.36

$39.59 £29.26

10.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.39 £33.54

$51.1 £37.73

-11.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.68 £17.51

Cinema Ticket

$15.19 £11.23

$14.12 £10.44

7.58%

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

$1,830 £1,352

$2,282 £1,686

-19.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.1K £19.3K

$25.7K £19.0K

1.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 £62.9

$103 £76.4

-17.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 £37.91

$49.34 £36.47

3.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.1

$111 £82.1

-2.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 £87.3

$97.7 £72.2

20.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,622 £1,198

$1,233 £912

31.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 £907

$936 £691

31.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,843 £2,101

$1,801 £1,331

57.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,147 £1,587

$1,538 £1,137

39.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,738 £4,980

$4,585 £3,389

46.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 £3,443

$4,405 £3,256

5.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,617 £2,673

$3,768 £2,785

-4.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.78

4.87

-1.85%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: September 6, 2026

Last update for Brecon: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,622 in Edinburgh and $1,233 in Brecon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brecon pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $109 in Edinburgh vs $112 in Brecon. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $317, with Brecon 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 Brecon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brecon is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Brecon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,622 in Edinburgh versus $1,233 in Brecon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brecon – a meal for two runs $112 versus $109 in Edinburgh. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,722 per month in Edinburgh versus $2,437 in Brecon – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,437 in Brecon versus $2,722 in Edinburgh, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Brecon but tight or insufficient in Edinburgh. The gap between the two cities makes Brecon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Brecon 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 Brecon 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 Brecon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Edinburgh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.