Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Chesterfield Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Chesterfield

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,772 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,276 in Chesterfield, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,140 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,020 in Chesterfield, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,508 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,764 in Chesterfield, rent included.

Edinburgh costs about 22% more than Chesterfield, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Edinburgh and Chesterfield sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 107%, Chesterfield by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.15 £15.00

$20.09 £14.96

0.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 £74.9

$80.4 £59.9

25.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 £7.45

$11.06 £8.23

-9.58%

Cappuccino

$5.41 £4.03

$4.47 £3.32

21.03%

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

$2.51 £1.87

$2.45 £1.83

2.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 £1.51

$1.73 £1.29

17.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.52 £5.60

$5.40 £4.02

39.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 £5.07

$5.41 £4.03

25.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.62 £1.21

3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 £1.30

$1.67 £1.24

4.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 £1.55

$2.27 £1.69

-8.37%

Eggs

$4.25 £3.17

$3.91 £2.91

8.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 £9.04

$9.82 £7.31

23.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.48 £7.80

$8.34 £6.21

25.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 £13.94

$11.90 £8.86

57.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 £2.33

$3.22 £2.40

-3.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 £1.16

$1.45 £1.08

6.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 £3.07

$2.71 £2.02

52.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 £3.42

$2.95 £2.20

55.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 £1.36

$1.80 £1.34

1.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 £1.07

$1.36 £1.02

5.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 £0.91

$1.00 £0.74

22.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 £1.01

$1.93 £1.44

-30.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.18 £15.02

$18.55 £13.81

8.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 £8.32

$11.48 £8.54

-2.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 £1.86

$2.72 £2.02

-8.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 £2.45

$3.27 £2.43

0.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 £2.01

$3.38 £2.52

-20.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.4 £66.6

$88.3 £65.8

1.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.31 £3.95

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.01 £2.24

$1.24 £0.93

142.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.48 £31.63

$16.59 £12.35

156.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.87 £1.39

3.74%

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

$38.8K £28.9K

$39.2K £29.2K

-0.92%

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

$39.9K £29.7K

$40.9K £30.4K

-2.41%

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

$381 £283

$297 £221

28.15%

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

$17.69 £13.17

$16.87 £12.56

4.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.83 £32.63

$43.89 £32.67

-0.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 £39.91

$45.23 £33.67

18.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.17 £17.99

Cinema Ticket

$15.01 £11.18

$12.85 £9.57

16.81%

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

$1,937 £1,442

$1,268 £944

52.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K £17.7K

$6,789 £5,055

250.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £88.8

$80.8 £60.2

47.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.6 £40.63

$43.53 £32.41

25.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 £87.4

$86.9 £64.7

35.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 £91.3

$83.3 £62.0

47.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 £1,203

$1,219 £908

32.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 £918

$991 £738

24.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 £2,306

$1,313 £978

135.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,186 £1,627

$1,066 £794

104.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,544 £4,872

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,733 £3,523

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,601 £2,681

$1,908 £1,421

88.72%

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 Chesterfield: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,616 in Edinburgh versus $1,219 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 89% 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 $101 in Edinburgh versus $80.0 in Chesterfield. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $293 – making Chesterfield the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,772 in Edinburgh, $2,276 in Chesterfield – roughly 22% apart. Edinburgh costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,158 per month in Edinburgh and $3,414 in Chesterfield. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Edinburgh, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Edinburgh and $80.0 in Chesterfield. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Chesterfield, where all-in costs run around $2,276, than in Edinburgh at $2,772. In Chesterfield it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,276 in Chesterfield to $2,772 in Edinburgh. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

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.