Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Chippenham Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Chippenham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,691 in Edinburgh versus $2,102 in Chippenham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,039 in Edinburgh versus $3,122 in Chippenham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,386 in Edinburgh versus $4,142 in Chippenham.

Living in Edinburgh is roughly 28% more expensive than in Chippenham, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edinburgh 96% above, Chippenham 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.27 £17.95

$18.05 £13.35

34.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 £81.0

$66.7 £49.35

64.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 £8.07

$10.02 £7.41

8.88%

Cappuccino

$5.18 £3.83

$4.84 £3.58

7.02%

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

$2.53 £1.87

$2.57 £1.90

-1.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 £1.60

$1.46 £1.08

48.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.19 £6.06

$4.39 £3.25

86.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.12 £6.01

$4.00 £2.96

103.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 £1.30

$1.39 £1.02

26.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 £1.72

$1.72 £1.27

35.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 £1.72

$3.05 £2.26

-23.61%

Eggs

$5.09 £3.76

$3.71 £2.74

37.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.30 £6.88

$6.76 £5.00

37.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 £7.06

$8.56 £6.33

11.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.99 £11.83

$10.31 £7.62

55.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 £2.22

$2.96 £2.19

1.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 £1.33

$1.49 £1.10

20.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 £2.56

$2.95 £2.18

17.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 £2.61

$3.25 £2.40

8.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 £1.62

$0.28 £0.21

682.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 £1.12

$1.37 £1.01

10.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 £0.94

$0.97 £0.71

30.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 £1.41

$1.33 £0.98

43.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.28 £17.96

$16.41 £12.14

47.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 £8.36

$11.03 £8.16

2.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 £2.23

$2.26 £1.67

33.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.35

$3.20 £2.36

-0.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 £2.18

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 £74.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.03

$6.65 £4.92

-18.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 £1.44

$4.67 £3.45

-58.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.94 £21.41

$13.46 £9.96

115.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 £1.52

$2.03 £1.50

0.99%

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

$39.3K £29.0K

$39.6K £29.3K

-0.97%

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

$41.4K £30.6K

$41.9K £31.0K

-1.15%

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

$343 £254

$290 £214

18.32%

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

$17.03 £12.60

$21.37 £15.81

-20.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.01 £31.82

$40.60 £30.03

5.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.96 £35.48

$48.33 £35.75

-0.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.68 £17.52

$19.98 £14.78

18.52%

Cinema Ticket

$15.04 £11.13

$8.96 £6.63

67.86%

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

$1,824 £1,350

$1,801 £1,333

1.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.5K £18.8K

$30.3K £22.4K

-16.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.8 £63.5

$78.3 £57.9

9.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 £37.21

$33.89 £25.08

48.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £79.6

$69.1 £51.1

55.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 £87.6

$103 £76.2

14.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 £1,217

$1,221 £903

34.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 £909

$944 £698

30.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,844 £2,104

$2,070 £1,531

37.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,187 £1,618

$1,680 £1,243

30.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,732 £4,980

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,734 £3,502

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,581 £2,649

$4,788 £3,542

-25.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.78

4.5

6.22%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: September 1, 2026

Last update for Chippenham: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,644 in Edinburgh and $1,221 in Chippenham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chippenham pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $109 in Edinburgh vs $67.0 in Chippenham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $267 per month, with Chippenham 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 Chippenham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chippenham is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Chippenham. 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: $1,644 in Edinburgh versus $1,221 in Chippenham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,824 in Edinburgh versus $1,801 in Chippenham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chippenham – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $109 in Edinburgh. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,102 in Chippenham versus $2,691 in Edinburgh, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Chippenham but tight or insufficient in Edinburgh. The gap between the two cities makes Chippenham the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chippenham 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 Chippenham 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 Chippenham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Edinburgh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.