Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Burnley Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Burnley

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,772 in Edinburgh versus $1,820 in Burnley.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,140 in Edinburgh versus $2,878 in Burnley.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,508 in Edinburgh versus $3,936 in Burnley.

Living in Edinburgh is roughly 52% more expensive than in Burnley, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edinburgh 107% above, Burnley 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.15 £15.00

$20.64 £15.37

-2.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 £74.9

$80.3 £59.8

25.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 £7.45

$8.32 £6.19

20.19%

Cappuccino

$5.41 £4.03

$4.30 £3.20

25.81%

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

$2.51 £1.87

$2.39 £1.78

5.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 £1.51

$1.60 £1.19

26.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.52 £5.60

$3.47 £2.59

116.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 £5.07

$5.50 £4.10

23.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.63 £1.21

3.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 £1.30

$1.64 £1.22

6.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 £1.55

$1.66 £1.23

25.30%

Eggs

$4.25 £3.17

$3.53 £2.63

20.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 £9.04

$8.25 £6.14

47.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.48 £7.80

$8.35 £6.22

25.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 £13.94

$13.48 £10.03

38.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 £2.33

$2.43 £1.81

28.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 £1.16

$1.39 £1.04

11.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 £3.07

$1.67 £1.25

146.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 £3.42

$2.75 £2.05

67.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 £1.36

$1.75 £1.31

4.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 £1.07

$1.60 £1.19

-10.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 £0.91

$1.32 £0.98

-7.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 £1.01

$1.19 £0.89

13.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.18 £15.02

$17.17 £12.78

17.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 £8.32

$10.86 £8.08

2.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 £1.86

$2.83 £2.11

-11.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 £2.45

$1.93 £1.44

70.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 £2.01

$2.98 £2.22

-9.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.4 £66.6

$109 £81.0

-17.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.31 £3.95

$3.48 £2.59

52.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.01 £2.24

$1.07 £0.80

181.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.48 £31.63

$16.49 £12.28

157.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.97 £1.47

-1.52%

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

$38.8K £28.9K

$38.7K £28.8K

0.31%

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

$39.9K £29.7K

$40.7K £30.3K

-2.09%

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

$381 £283

$273 £203

39.60%

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

$17.69 £13.17

$16.89 £12.58

4.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.83 £32.63

$43.63 £32.48

0.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 £39.91

$46.28 £34.45

15.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.17 £17.99

$17.28 £12.86

39.87%

Cinema Ticket

$15.01 £11.18

$7.68 £5.71

95.44%

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

$1,937 £1,442

$1,557 £1,159

24.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K £17.7K

$6,892 £5,131

245.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £88.8

$81.6 £60.8

46.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.6 £40.63

$42.64 £31.75

27.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 £87.4

$87.0 £64.8

34.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 £91.3

$71.6 £53.3

71.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 £1,203

$768 £572

110.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 £918

$636 £473

93.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 £2,306

$1,478 £1,101

109.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,186 £1,627

$1,274 £949

71.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,544 £4,872

$4,441 £3,306

47.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,733 £3,523

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,601 £2,681

$3,211 £2,391

12.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

5.6

0.54%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: July 13, 2026

Last update for Burnley: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,616 in Edinburgh and $768 in Burnley. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edinburgh pays 12% 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: $101 in Edinburgh vs $80.0 in Burnley for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $269 per month, with Burnley 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 Burnley: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burnley is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 12% 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: $1,616 in Edinburgh versus $768 in Burnley. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Burnley – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $101 in Edinburgh. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,772 per month in Edinburgh versus $1,820 in Burnley – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,820 in Burnley versus $2,772 in Edinburgh, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Burnley but tight or insufficient in Edinburgh. The gap between the two cities makes Burnley the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Burnley 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 Burnley 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 Burnley gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Edinburgh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.