Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Bridgend Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Bridgend

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Edinburgh versus $2,414 in Bridgend.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,119 in Edinburgh versus $3,524 in Bridgend.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,535 in Edinburgh versus $4,634 in Bridgend.

Living in Edinburgh is roughly 12% more expensive than Bridgend, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edinburgh 102% above, Bridgend 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.53 £15.21

$21.58 £15.99

-4.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 £76.9

$80.1 £59.4

29.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 £7.35

$10.19 £7.55

-2.65%

Cappuccino

$5.32 £3.94

$3.73 £2.76

42.63%

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

$2.59 £1.92

$2.27 £1.68

14.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 £1.48

$1.60 £1.18

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.45 £5.52

$4.87 £3.61

52.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 £5.15

$6.06 £4.49

14.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.63 £1.21

1.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.94 £1.44

-14.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 £1.55

$2.83 £2.09

-26.15%

Eggs

$4.34 £3.22

$6.27 £4.65

-30.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 £8.84

$9.99 £7.40

19.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.21 £7.57

$11.79 £8.74

-13.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.53 £13.73

$13.78 £10.21

34.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 £2.43

$3.19 £2.37

2.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 £1.16

$1.59 £1.18

-1.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 £3.12

$2.90 £2.15

45.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 £3.54

$3.54 £2.62

35.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 £1.29

$1.67 £1.24

4.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 £1.11

$1.48 £1.10

1.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 £0.87

$1.10 £0.82

7.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 £0.97

$1.51 £1.12

-13.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.45 £15.15

$19.09 £14.14

7.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 £7.94

$8.34 £6.18

28.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 £1.94

$2.79 £2.07

-6.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 £2.50

$3.20 £2.37

5.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 £2.05

$2.61 £1.94

5.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.9 £65.1

$89.7 £66.5

-1.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 £4.06

$5.59 £4.14

-1.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.04 £2.25

$1.57 £1.17

93.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.23 £31.29

$23.43 £17.36

80.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$2.03 £1.51

-7.88%

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

$37.8K £28.0K

$38.6K £28.6K

-2.02%

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

$39.8K £29.5K

$51.6K £38.2K

-22.78%

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

$383 £284

$373 £276

2.71%

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

$17.20 £12.74

$25.73 £19.06

-33.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.72 £33.14

$42.00 £31.12

6.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 £39.66

$49.98 £37.04

7.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.76 £18.34

$11.07 £8.20

123.67%

Cinema Ticket

$14.74 £10.93

$13.64 £10.10

8.06%

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

$1,892 £1,402

$1,568 £1,162

20.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K £17.4K

$18.5K £13.7K

27.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £88.1

$85.2 £63.2

39.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 £40.14

$43.14 £31.97

25.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 £85.4

$91.1 £67.5

26.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 £93.3

$83.5 £61.9

50.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 £1,223

$1,234 £915

33.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 £898

$1,021 £757

18.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,071 £2,276

$1,165 £863

163.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,188 £1,621

$1,707 £1,265

28.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,829 £5,060

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,906 £3,635

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,585 £2,657

$2,262 £1,676

58.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

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

Last update for Edinburgh: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bridgend: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,651 in Edinburgh and $1,234 in Bridgend. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edinburgh pays 58% 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 $80.0 in Bridgend for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 vs $325 per month, with Bridgend 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 Bridgend: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Edinburgh and Bridgend differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($2,704 vs $2,414 including rent). Bridgend is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Edinburgh pays 58% 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: $1,651 in Edinburgh versus $1,234 in Bridgend. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,892 in Edinburgh versus $1,568 in Bridgend. 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 $2,414 in Bridgend versus $2,704 in Edinburgh, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bridgend but tight or insufficient in Edinburgh. The gap between the two cities makes Bridgend the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Edinburgh and Bridgend 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 Bridgend 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.