Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Bristol

For one person, living is cheaper in Edinburgh: $2,645 a month against $2,883 in Bristol, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bristol outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Bristol
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Bristol Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

Bristol

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,883

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Bristol

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,645 in Edinburgh versus $2,883 in Bristol.

Edinburgh $2,645
Bristol $2,883

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,021 in Edinburgh versus $4,161 in Bristol.

Edinburgh $4,021
Bristol $4,161

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,397 in Edinburgh versus $5,440 in Bristol.

Edinburgh $5,397
Bristol $5,440

Living in Edinburgh costs roughly 8% less than in Bristol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edinburgh 94% above, Bristol 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.35 £18.32

$23.78 £17.90

2.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 £79.2

$114 £85.7

-7.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 £7.88

$10.82 £8.14

-3.23%

Cappuccino

$5.02 £3.78

$5.14 £3.87

-2.33%

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

$2.41 £1.82

$2.69 £2.02

-10.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 £1.65

$1.84 £1.39

19.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 £6.05

$7.83 £5.89

2.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 £5.95

$6.74 £5.08

17.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 £1.32

$1.52 £1.15

15.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 £1.75

$1.71 £1.29

36.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 £1.77

$2.10 £1.58

11.90%

Eggs

$5.13 £3.86

$4.25 £3.20

20.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 £6.81

$8.15 £6.14

11.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 £6.97

$9.82 £7.39

-5.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 £12.17

$12.88 £9.69

25.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.29

$3.22 £2.42

-5.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 £1.41

$1.76 £1.32

6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 £2.52

$2.70 £2.03

24.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 £2.83

$4.13 £3.11

-9.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.54

$2.07 £1.56

-0.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.15

$1.45 £1.09

5.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 £1.00

$1.23 £0.92

8.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.42

$2.02 £1.52

-6.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.87 £17.96

$23.31 £17.54

2.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 £8.25

$10.57 £7.96

3.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 £2.37

$2.89 £2.17

9.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.42

$3.65 £2.75

-11.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 £2.36

$3.40 £2.56

-7.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 £75.1

$125 £93.8

-19.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.10

$3.50 £2.63

55.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 £1.43

$1.62 £1.22

17.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 £21.45

$26.41 £19.87

7.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 £1.55

$2.17 £1.63

-5.07%

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

$38.2K £28.8K

$38.0K £28.6K

0.73%

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

$39.7K £29.9K

$40.0K £30.1K

-0.72%

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

$329 £248

$326 £246

0.85%

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

$16.81 £12.65

$17.56 £13.21

-4.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.13 £32.46

$38.06 £28.65

13.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 £31.49

$41.92 £31.55

-0.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.33 £17.56

$11.75 £8.84

98.55%

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 £11.04

$15.58 £11.73

-5.84%

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

$1,901 £1,430

$2,366 £1,780

-19.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K £19.4K

$25.2K £19.0K

2.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 £61.8

$100 £75.4

-17.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 £37.63

$47.78 £35.96

4.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £79.6

$108 £81.0

-1.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £86.7

$96.6 £72.7

19.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 £1,273

$1,963 £1,477

-13.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 £907

$1,455 £1,095

-17.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,959 £2,227

$3,048 £2,294

-2.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,184 £1,644

$2,225 £1,674

-1.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,388 £4,807

$7,040 £5,298

-9.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 £3,397

$5,142 £3,870

-12.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,632 £2,733

$3,801 £2,860

-4.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

4.87

-2.05%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bristol: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6%

Bristol

$1.5K 50.5% 20.8% $250

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$389 14.7%

Bristol

$382 13.3% 1.8% $7.1

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$361 13.6%

Bristol

$355 12.3% 1.6% $5.6

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.6%

Bristol

$309 10.7% 7.1% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$159 6%

Bristol

$158 5.5% 0.3% $0.4

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$127 4.8%

Bristol

$150 5.2% 17.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$71 2.7%

Bristol

$73 2.5% 2.7% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,691 in Edinburgh and $1,963 in Bristol. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bristol pays 5% 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: $105 in Edinburgh vs $114 in Bristol. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $309, with Bristol cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Bristol

🕒 Local time

20:27 8:27 PM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

463,400

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Edinburgh Bristol 500 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Edinburgh
Bristol

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 Bristol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,645 in Edinburgh and $2,883 in Bristol, so Edinburgh is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Edinburgh. 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: $1,691 in Edinburgh versus $1,963 in Bristol. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Bristol pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Edinburgh – a meal for two runs $105 versus $114 in Bristol. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Edinburgh is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Bristol are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Edinburgh wins on affordability, Bristol on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.