Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Chesterfield

For one person, living is cheaper in Chesterfield: $2,085 a month against $2,617 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,617
/mo nomad
Chesterfield
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,085
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Chesterfield

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

A single person spends $2,617 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,085 in Chesterfield, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $2,617
  • Chesterfield $2,085

A couple spends around $3,956 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,017 in Chesterfield, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $3,956
  • Chesterfield $3,017

A family of three spends $5,295 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,949 in Chesterfield, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $5,295
  • Chesterfield $3,949

Edinburgh costs about 26% more than Chesterfield, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Edinburgh and Chesterfield sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 94%, Chesterfield by 54%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Edinburgh
Chesterfield
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.64 £17.73
$21.94 £16.46
7.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$104 £78.2
$79.8 £59.9
30.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.48 £7.86
$10.53 £7.90
-0.47%
Cappuccino
$5.08 £3.81
$4.49 £3.37
13.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 £1.87
$2.33 £1.75
7.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 £1.61
$1.30 £0.98
65.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.06 £6.04
$6.09 £4.57
32.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.13 £6.10
$5.22 £3.91
55.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
Chesterfield
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 £1.26
$1.72 £1.29
-2.33%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 £1.71
$1.70 £1.27
34.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.25 £1.69
$2.14 £1.61
5.14%
Eggs
$5.05 £3.79
$4.07 £3.05
24.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.05 £6.79
$9.61 £7.21
-5.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.49 £7.12
$8.72 £6.55
8.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.12 £12.10
$14.11 £10.59
14.25%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 £2.29
$3.06 £2.29
-0.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.93 £1.45
$1.35 £1.01
42.96%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.36 £2.52
$2.61 £1.96
28.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.68 £2.76
$3.46 £2.60
6.36%
Potato (1kg)
$2.07 £1.55
$1.48 £1.11
39.86%
Onion (1kg)
$1.54 £1.16
$1.56 £1.17
-1.28%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 £0.94
$1.19 £0.90
5.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 £1.45
$1.44 £1.08
34.72%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.67 £17.76
$20.36 £15.27
16.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.13 £8.35
$11.12 £8.35
0.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.22 £2.42
$3.29 £2.47
-2.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.19 £2.40
$3.18 £2.38
0.31%
🚌 Getting Around
Edinburgh
Chesterfield
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.20 £2.40
$3.93 £2.95
-18.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$96.7 £72.6
$76.3 £57.3
26.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.18 £3.89
$4.88 £3.66
6.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.86 £1.40
$1.30 £0.97
43.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.69 £21.52
$19.51 £14.64
47.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.14 £1.60
$2.11 £1.58
1.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.6K £29.0K
$38.1K £28.6K
1.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.2K £30.9K
$41.2K £30.9K
-0.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
Chesterfield
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$330 £248
$311 £233
6.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.39 £12.30
$20.10 £15.08
-18.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.15 £31.63
$43.66 £32.75
-3.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
Chesterfield
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.13 £33.11
$46.19 £34.66
-4.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.04 £17.28
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.30 £10.73
$12.52 £9.39
14.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Edinburgh
Chesterfield
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,759 £1,319
$1,203 £903
46.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.4K £19.0K
$24.1K £18.1K
5.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
Chesterfield
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.6 £60.4
$85.9 £64.4
-6.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.45 £37.10
$41.05 £30.80
20.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 £79.2
$108 £81.3
-2.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 £86.0
$109 £81.5
5.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
Chesterfield
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,611 £1,209
$857 £643
88.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,185 £889
$764 £573
54.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,738 £2,054
$1,530 £1,148
78.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,106 £1,580
$1,122 £842
87.65%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,632 £4,976
$4,971 £3,729
33.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,609 £3,458
$3,925 £2,945
17.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Edinburgh
Chesterfield
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,522 £2,642
$1,940 £1,455
81.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
5.33
-10.51%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chesterfield: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
$1.2K
Chesterfield
$764 35.5% $420
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
$389
Chesterfield
$375 3.5% $14
Eating Out
Edinburgh
$357
Chesterfield
$316 11.3% $40
Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
$333
Chesterfield
$300 10% $33
Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
$158
Chesterfield
$155 1.8% $2.8
Getting Around
Edinburgh
$124
Chesterfield
$103 16.6% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
$73
Chesterfield
$71 2% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,611 in Edinburgh versus $857 in Chesterfield. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 82% higher in Edinburgh, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $104 in Edinburgh versus $80.0 in Chesterfield. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $300 – making Chesterfield the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🇬🇧 Chesterfield
🕒 Local time
13:33 1:33 PM
13:33 1:33 PM
Same time as Edinburgh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
488,050
103,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
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  • Edinburgh Chesterfield 320 km
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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 Chesterfield: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Edinburgh and in Chesterfield compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,617 in Edinburgh, $2,085 in Chesterfield – roughly 26% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Edinburgh compared to Chesterfield?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,925 per month in Edinburgh and $3,127 in Chesterfield. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Edinburgh and Chesterfield?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chesterfield, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 11% more in Edinburgh, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $104 in Edinburgh and $80.0 in Chesterfield. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Chesterfield, where all-in costs run around $2,085, than in Edinburgh at $2,617. In Chesterfield it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Edinburgh and Chesterfield?
It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,085 in Chesterfield to $2,617 in Edinburgh. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Edinburgh or Chesterfield safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Edinburgh and Chesterfield?
If budget matters most, go with Chesterfield. 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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