Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Cheltenham Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Cheltenham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,767 in Edinburgh versus $2,148 in Cheltenham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,064 in Edinburgh versus $3,224 in Cheltenham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,361 in Edinburgh versus $4,300 in Cheltenham.

Living in Edinburgh is roughly 29% more expensive than Cheltenham, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edinburgh 106% above, Cheltenham 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.73 £15.44

$20.14 £15.00

2.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 £77.1

$80.4 £59.9

28.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 £7.41

$11.04 £8.22

-9.87%

Cappuccino

$5.32 £3.97

$4.55 £3.39

16.92%

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

$2.61 £1.94

$2.04 £1.52

27.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 £1.50

$1.38 £1.03

45.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.64 £5.69

$5.57 £4.15

37.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 £5.16

$6.84 £5.10

1.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.23

$1.46 £1.09

13.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.29

$0.71 £0.53

143.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 £1.62

$1.98 £1.47

10.10%

Eggs

$4.37 £3.26

$4.45 £3.32

-1.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 £8.88

$4.75 £3.53

151.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 £7.63

$7.41 £5.52

38.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.87 £14.06

$15.55 £11.58

21.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 £2.40

$2.07 £1.54

55.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.11

$1.72 £1.28

-13.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 £3.09

$2.07 £1.54

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 £3.53

$3.45 £2.57

37.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 £1.36

$1.34 £1.00

35.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 £1.06

$1.85 £1.37

-23.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.87

$1.07 £0.80

8.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 £0.99

$1.57 £1.17

-15.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.21 £15.05

$17.02 £12.68

18.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.36 £8.46

$11.02 £8.21

3.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 £1.86

$1.95 £1.45

28.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.44

$1.94 £1.44

68.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 £1.97

$3.50 £2.60

-24.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.4 £66.6

$57.3 £42.65

56.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.16

$3.99 £2.97

39.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 £2.34

$1.39 £1.04

126.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.77 £31.85

$25.82 £19.23

65.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.97 £1.47

-1.02%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

0.05%

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

$38.8K £28.9K

$42.0K £31.2K

-7.45%

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

$381 £284

$257 £191

48.46%

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

$17.32 £12.90

$15.72 £11.71

10.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.43 £33.09

$42.39 £31.57

4.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 £40.59

$43.97 £32.75

23.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.51 £18.26

$24.08 £17.93

1.79%

Cinema Ticket

$14.73 £10.97

$13.34 £9.94

10.42%

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

$1,944 £1,448

$1,374 £1,023

41.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K £18.0K

$13.6K £10.2K

76.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 £88.1

$112 £83.4

5.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 £41.42

$35.79 £26.65

55.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 £86.6

$112 £83.3

4.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 £93.6

$97.2 £72.4

29.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 £1,231

$1,209 £900

36.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 £895

$937 £698

28.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,062 £2,281

$2,271 £1,691

34.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,168 £1,615

$1,637 £1,219

32.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,616 £4,928

$5,704 £4,248

15.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,869 £3,627

$5,779 £4,304

-15.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,659 £2,725

$3,932 £2,929

-6.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

5.79

-2.76%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cheltenham: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Edinburgh and $1,209 in Cheltenham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheltenham pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $104 in Edinburgh vs $80.0 in Cheltenham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $258 per month, with Cheltenham 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 Cheltenham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cheltenham is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cheltenham earns 7% less. 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: $1,653 in Edinburgh versus $1,209 in Cheltenham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cheltenham – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $104 in Edinburgh. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,767 per month in Edinburgh versus $2,148 in Cheltenham – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,148 in Cheltenham versus $2,767 in Edinburgh, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cheltenham but tight or insufficient in Edinburgh. The gap between the two cities makes Cheltenham the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cheltenham 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 Cheltenham 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 Cheltenham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Edinburgh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.