Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Crawley Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Crawley

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,736 in Edinburgh versus $2,799 in Crawley.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,085 in Edinburgh versus $4,124 in Crawley.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,435 in Edinburgh versus $5,450 in Crawley.

Living in Edinburgh costs roughly 2% less than in Crawley, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edinburgh 106% above, Crawley 110% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.57 £15.24

$20.63 £15.29

-0.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 £76.0

$81.5 £60.4

25.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 £7.42

$9.25 £6.86

8.32%

Cappuccino

$5.24 £3.88

$4.68 £3.47

11.97%

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

$2.54 £1.89

$2.17 £1.61

17.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 £1.45

$1.32 £0.98

48.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.28 £5.40

$5.88 £4.36

23.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 £5.10

$6.05 £4.48

13.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.34 £0.99

26.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.28

$1.56 £1.15

10.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 £1.59

$2.76 £2.04

-22.46%

Eggs

$4.26 £3.15

$3.33 £2.47

27.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.00 £8.89

$6.92 £5.13

73.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.58 £7.84

$7.25 £5.37

45.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.31 £13.57

$15.06 £11.16

21.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 £2.33

$4.19 £3.10

-24.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 £1.15

$2.19 £1.62

-29.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 £2.97

$3.07 £2.28

30.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 £3.55

$4.64 £3.44

3.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 £1.34

$1.26 £0.94

43.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 £1.06

$1.66 £1.23

-13.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 £0.90

$0.56 £0.41

116.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 £1.01

$1.64 £1.22

-17.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.70 £15.34

$16.62 £12.32

24.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 £8.11

$9.33 £6.91

17.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 £1.92

$2.26 £1.67

14.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 £2.54

$1.83 £1.35

87.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 £1.98

$3.75 £2.78

-28.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.3 £66.9

$131 £96.9

-30.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.04

$4.55 £3.38

19.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.12 £2.31

$1.68 £1.25

85.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.72 £31.67

$16.18 £12.00

164.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.43

$1.95 £1.44

-1.03%

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

$38.7K £28.7K

$38.5K £28.6K

0.43%

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

$39.4K £29.2K

$40.8K £30.3K

-3.56%

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

$385 £285

$452 £335

-14.91%

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

$17.38 £12.88

$15.69 £11.63

10.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.71 £33.14

$42.04 £31.16

6.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 £40.61

$56.6 £41.94

-3.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.93 £18.48

$9.55 £7.08

161.05%

Cinema Ticket

$14.65 £10.86

$10.84 £8.04

35.15%

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

$1,953 £1,448

$1,279 £948

52.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K £17.2K

$8,000 £5,930

190.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 £87.5

$66.9 £49.62

76.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 £40.43

$41.05 £30.43

32.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 £87.6

$74.2 £55.0

59.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 £91.2

$134 £99.1

-7.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 £1,236

$1,654 £1,226

0.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 £896

$1,288 £954

-6.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,102 £2,299

$2,675 £1,983

15.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,181 £1,616

$2,418 £1,792

-9.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,695 £4,962

$6,393 £4,738

4.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,621 £3,425

$5,886 £4,362

-21.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,581 £2,654

$3,256 £2,413

9.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

5.9

-4.58%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: July 26, 2026

Last update for Crawley: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Edinburgh and $1,654 in Crawley. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edinburgh pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $103 in Edinburgh vs $81.0 in Crawley for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $288 per month, with Crawley 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 Crawley: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Edinburgh wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Crawley. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Edinburgh the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 10% 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: $1,668 in Edinburgh versus $1,654 in Crawley. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Edinburgh – a meal for two runs $103 versus $81.0 in Crawley. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,736 per month in Edinburgh versus $2,799 in Crawley – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Edinburgh is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Edinburgh delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,736 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Edinburgh hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Edinburgh and Crawley 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 Edinburgh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Crawley. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.