Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Bury

For one person, living is cheaper in Bury: $2,330 a month against $2,617 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,617
/mo nomad
Bury
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,330
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Bury

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

A single person spends $2,617 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,330 in Bury, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $2,617
  • Bury $2,330

A couple spends around $3,956 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,653 in Bury, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $3,956
  • Bury $2,653

A family of three spends $5,295 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,977 in Bury, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $5,295
  • Bury $2,977

Edinburgh costs about 12% more than Bury, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Edinburgh and Bury sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 94%, Bury by 73%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Edinburgh
Bury
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.64 £17.73
$25.91 £19.44
-8.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$104 £78.2
$80.8 £60.6
28.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.48 £7.86
$10.61 £7.96
-1.23%
Cappuccino
$5.08 £3.81
$4.80 £3.60
5.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 £1.87
$1.76 £1.32
42.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 £1.61
$1.22 £0.91
76.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.06 £6.04
$5.04 £3.78
59.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.13 £6.10
$4.70 £3.53
72.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
Bury
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 £1.26
$1.42 £1.07
18.31%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 £1.71
$1.83 £1.37
25.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.25 £1.69
$2.48 £1.86
-9.27%
Eggs
$5.05 £3.79
$4.05 £3.04
24.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.05 £6.79
$9.38 £7.03
-3.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.49 £7.12
$8.37 £6.28
13.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.12 £12.10
$16.56 £12.42
-2.66%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 £2.29
$3.21 £2.41
-4.98%
Banana (1kg)
$1.93 £1.45
$1.55 £1.16
24.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.36 £2.52
$3.07 £2.30
9.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.68 £2.76
$3.38 £2.54
8.88%
Potato (1kg)
$2.07 £1.55
$1.15 £0.86
80.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.54 £1.16
$1.57 £1.18
-1.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 £0.94
$1.16 £0.87
7.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 £1.45
$1.25 £0.94
55.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.67 £17.76
$23.50 £17.63
0.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.13 £8.35
$10.09 £7.57
10.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.22 £2.42
$3.28 £2.46
-1.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.19 £2.40
$2.93 £2.20
8.87%
🚌 Getting Around
Edinburgh
Bury
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.20 £2.40
$2.71 £2.03
18.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$96.7 £72.6
$107 £80.5
-9.89%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.18 £3.89
$4.75 £3.57
9.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.86 £1.40
$1.76 £1.32
5.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.69 £21.52
$31.94 £23.96
-10.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.14 £1.60
$1.93 £1.45
10.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.6K £29.0K
$38.4K £28.8K
0.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.2K £30.9K
$40.8K £30.6K
0.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
Bury
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$330 £248
$368 £276
-10.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.39 £12.30
$17.45 £13.09
-6.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.15 £31.63
$43.15 £32.37
-2.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
Bury
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.13 £33.11
$49.66 £37.26
-11.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.04 £17.28
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.30 £10.73
$11.38 £8.53
25.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Edinburgh
Bury
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,759 £1,319
$1,568 £1,176
12.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.4K £19.0K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
Bury
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.6 £60.4
$84.9 £63.7
-5.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.45 £37.10
$39.72 £29.80
24.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 £79.2
$72.3 £54.2
46.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 £86.0
$110 £82.3
4.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
Bury
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,611 £1,209
$1,114 £836
44.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,185 £889
$914 £686
29.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,738 £2,054
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,106 £1,580
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,632 £4,976
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,609 £3,458
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Edinburgh
Bury
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,522 £2,642
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
5.2
-8.27%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bury: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
$1.2K
Bury
$914 22.8% $270
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
$389
Bury
$429 10.4% $40
Eating Out
Edinburgh
$357
Bury
$343 3.7% $13
Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
$333
Bury
$301 9.4% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
$158
Bury
$138 12.4% $20
Getting Around
Edinburgh
$124
Bury
$132 6.2% $7.7
Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
$73
Bury
$72 0.4% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,611 in Edinburgh versus $1,114 in Bury. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $104 in Edinburgh versus $81.0 in Bury. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $301 – making Bury the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🇬🇧 Bury
🕒 Local time
03:50 3:50 AM
03:50 3:50 AM
Same time as Edinburgh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
488,050
35,015
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Edinburgh Bury 480 km
From you
  • Edinburgh
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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 Bury: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Edinburgh or Bury?
Edinburgh costs about 12% more than Bury, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Edinburgh and in Bury?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,925 per month in Edinburgh and $3,495 in Bury. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Edinburgh or Bury?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bury, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Edinburgh compared to Bury?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,617 in Edinburgh and $2,330 in Bury. That's a gap of about 12%.
How expensive is transport in Edinburgh compared to Bury?
Public transport costs about 11% less in Bury. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Edinburgh or in Bury?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bury, where all-in costs run around $2,330, than in Edinburgh at $2,617. In Bury it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Edinburgh or Bury?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bury costs $2,330 versus $2,617 in Edinburgh. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Edinburgh compared to Bury?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Edinburgh or to Bury?
If budget matters most, go with Bury. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Edinburgh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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