Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Cardiff Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Cardiff

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,772 in Edinburgh versus $2,355 in Cardiff.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,140 in Edinburgh versus $3,357 in Cardiff.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,508 in Edinburgh versus $4,359 in Cardiff.

Living in Edinburgh is roughly 18% more expensive than in Cardiff, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edinburgh 107% above, Cardiff 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.15 £14.99

$20.04 £14.90

0.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 £74.9

$88.4 £65.7

13.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 £7.44

$10.90 £8.11

-8.26%

Cappuccino

$5.41 £4.03

$4.85 £3.61

11.55%

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

$2.51 £1.87

$2.54 £1.89

-1.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 £1.51

$1.72 £1.28

18.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.52 £5.59

$6.82 £5.07

10.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 £5.07

$6.22 £4.62

9.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.91 £1.42

-12.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 £1.30

$1.75 £1.30

-0.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 £1.54

$3.03 £2.25

-31.35%

Eggs

$4.25 £3.16

$4.63 £3.45

-8.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 £9.03

$10.13 £7.53

19.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.48 £7.79

$8.95 £6.66

17.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 £13.93

$9.23 £6.86

102.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 £2.32

$2.81 £2.09

11.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 £1.15

$1.65 £1.23

-6.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 £3.07

$3.25 £2.42

26.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 £3.42

$5.75 £4.28

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 £1.36

$1.75 £1.30

4.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 £1.07

$1.48 £1.10

-3.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 £0.91

$1.18 £0.88

3.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 £1.01

$1.74 £1.29

-22.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.18 £15.01

$19.49 £14.50

3.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 £8.32

$11.10 £8.25

0.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 £1.86

$3.18 £2.37

-21.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 £2.44

$3.49 £2.59

-5.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 £2.01

$3.15 £2.35

-14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.4 £66.5

$78.9 £58.7

13.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.31 £3.95

$4.03 £3.00

31.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.01 £2.24

$2.58 £1.92

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.48 £31.60

$20.49 £15.24

107.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.91 £1.42

1.57%

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

$38.8K £28.9K

$38.8K £28.8K

0.05%

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

$39.9K £29.7K

$54.4K £40.5K

-26.74%

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

$381 £283

$292 £217

30.39%

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

$17.69 £13.16

$20.13 £14.97

-12.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.83 £32.60

$42.95 £31.95

2.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 £39.87

$39.58 £29.44

35.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.17 £17.98

$8.55 £6.36

182.69%

Cinema Ticket

$15.01 £11.17

$7.87 £5.85

90.72%

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

$1,937 £1,441

$1,991 £1,481

-2.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K £17.7K

$33.8K £25.2K

-29.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £88.8

$69.3 £51.5

72.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.6 £40.59

$36.81 £27.38

48.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 £87.4

$74.4 £55.3

57.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 £91.2

$67.2 £49.96

82.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 £1,202

$1,311 £975

23.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 £917

$1,123 £836

9.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 £2,304

$2,558 £1,903

21.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,186 £1,626

$1,660 £1,235

31.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,544 £4,867

$5,509 £4,097

18.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,733 £3,520

$3,517 £2,616

34.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,601 £2,678

$3,316 £2,466

8.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

-6.17%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: July 13, 2026

Last update for Cardiff: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,616 in Edinburgh and $1,311 in Cardiff. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edinburgh pays 9% 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 $88.0 in Cardiff for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $315 per month, with Cardiff 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 Cardiff: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Edinburgh and Cardiff differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($2,772 vs $2,355 including rent). Cardiff is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 9% 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 $1,311 in Cardiff. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cardiff – a meal for two runs $88.0 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 $2,355 in Cardiff – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,355 in Cardiff versus $2,772 in Edinburgh, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Cardiff but tight or insufficient in Edinburgh. The gap between the two cities makes Cardiff 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 Cardiff 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 Cardiff gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Edinburgh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.