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: $2,736 in Edinburgh versus $2,440 in Bridgend.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,085 in Edinburgh versus $3,541 in Bridgend.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,435 in Edinburgh versus $4,642 in Bridgend.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edinburgh 106% above, Bridgend 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.57 £15.39

$21.80 £16.31

-5.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 £76.7

$80.3 £60.1

27.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 £7.49

$9.99 £7.47

0.30%

Cappuccino

$5.24 £3.92

$3.68 £2.75

42.39%

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

$2.54 £1.90

$2.29 £1.72

10.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.59 £1.19

23.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.28 £5.45

$5.01 £3.75

45.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 £5.15

$6.14 £4.60

12.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 £1.27

$1.65 £1.24

3.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.29

$1.87 £1.40

-7.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 £1.60

$2.94 £2.20

-27.21%

Eggs

$4.26 £3.18

$6.49 £4.85

-34.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.00 £8.98

$9.55 £7.15

25.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.58 £7.92

$12.08 £9.04

-12.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.31 £13.69

$13.89 £10.39

31.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 £2.36

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 £1.16

$1.58 £1.18

-1.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 £3.00

$2.86 £2.14

40.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 £3.59

$3.48 £2.60

37.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 £1.36

$1.64 £1.22

10.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 £1.07

$1.53 £1.14

-6.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 £0.90

$1.10 £0.83

10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 £1.02

$1.52 £1.14

-10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.70 £15.48

$18.73 £14.01

10.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 £8.19

$10.84 £8.11

1.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 £1.94

$2.81 £2.10

-7.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 £2.57

$3.11 £2.33

10.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 £2.00

$2.53 £1.89

5.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.3 £67.5

$87.3 £65.3

3.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.07

$5.27 £3.95

3.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.12 £2.33

$1.60 £1.20

95.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.72 £31.96

$23.35 £17.47

82.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.45

$2.04 £1.53

-5.39%

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

$38.7K £28.9K

$37.8K £28.3K

2.26%

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

$39.4K £29.4K

$51.6K £38.6K

-23.79%

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

$385 £288

$371 £278

3.70%

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

$17.38 £13.00

$25.69 £19.21

-32.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.71 £33.45

$42.96 £32.14

4.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 £40.99

$50.2 £37.59

9.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.93 £18.65

$10.80 £8.08

130.83%

Cinema Ticket

$14.65 £10.96

$13.61 £10.18

7.64%

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

$1,953 £1,461

$1,592 £1,191

22.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K £17.4K

$18.7K £14.0K

24.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 £88.3

$82.9 £62.0

42.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 £40.80

$44.18 £33.05

23.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 £88.5

$90.7 £67.8

30.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 £92.1

$83.4 £62.4

47.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 £1,248

$1,221 £913

36.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 £905

$982 £735

23.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,102 £2,321

$1,187 £888

161.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,181 £1,632

$1,708 £1,278

27.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,695 £5,008

$5,505 £4,118

21.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,621 £3,457

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,581 £2,679

$2,298 £1,719

55.84%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Bridgend: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Edinburgh and $1,221 in Bridgend. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edinburgh pays 56% 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: $103 in Edinburgh vs $80.0 in Bridgend for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $330 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 ($2,736 vs $2,440 including rent). Bridgend is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 56% higher in Edinburgh, 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: $1,668 in Edinburgh versus $1,221 in Bridgend. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,953 in Edinburgh versus $1,592 in Bridgend. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Edinburgh. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,440 in Bridgend versus $2,736 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.