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: $2,744 in Edinburgh versus $2,727 in Crawley.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,078 in Edinburgh versus $4,119 in Crawley.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,412 in Edinburgh versus $5,511 in Crawley.

Living in Edinburgh is roughly 1% more expensive than in Crawley, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edinburgh 106% above, Crawley 105% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.43 £15.47

$20.42 £15.47

0.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 £76.3

$80.1 £60.7

25.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.83 £7.44

$9.18 £6.96

7.08%

Cappuccino

$5.38 £4.07

$4.60 £3.48

16.96%

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

$2.62 £1.99

$2.20 £1.67

19.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 £1.52

$1.38 £1.04

45.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.50 £5.68

$5.80 £4.40

29.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 £5.06

$5.96 £4.51

12.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 £1.29

$1.33 £1.01

28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 £1.32

$1.48 £1.12

18.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 £1.65

$2.89 £2.19

-24.57%

Eggs

$4.18 £3.17

$3.24 £2.45

29.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.88 £9.00

$6.78 £5.14

75.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.55 £7.99

$7.19 £5.45

46.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.71 £14.17

$15.53 £11.76

20.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 £2.39

$4.17 £3.16

-24.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 £1.17

$2.28 £1.73

-32.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 £3.20

$3.01 £2.28

40.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 £3.52

$4.70 £3.56

-1.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 £1.37

$1.23 £0.93

47.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 £1.10

$1.65 £1.25

-12.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 £0.89

$0.52 £0.40

125.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 £0.99

$1.66 £1.25

-21.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.50 £15.53

$16.57 £12.56

23.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 £8.29

$9.27 £7.02

18.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 £1.90

$2.27 £1.72

10.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 £2.56

$1.80 £1.36

87.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 £2.04

$3.58 £2.71

-24.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.7 £68.0

$130 £98.7

-31.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.54 £4.20

$4.52 £3.42

22.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.02 £2.29

$1.70 £1.29

77.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.60 £33.03

$16.55 £12.54

163.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.48

$1.97 £1.49

-1.02%

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

$39.1K £29.6K

$38.3K £29.0K

2.26%

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

$39.2K £29.7K

$40.0K £30.3K

-2.07%

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

$385 £291

$458 £347

-16.06%

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

$17.24 £13.06

$15.41 £11.67

11.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.91 £34.02

$41.41 £31.37

8.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.4 £41.23

$56.8 £43.04

-4.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.17 £18.31

$9.37 £7.10

157.95%

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 £11.14

$10.72 £8.12

37.22%

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

$1,944 £1,473

$1,294 £981

50.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K £17.7K

$8,092 £6,130

189.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 £88.8

$67.1 £50.8

74.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 £42.24

$40.99 £31.05

36.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 £86.5

$73.5 £55.6

55.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 £95.4

$136 £103

-7.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,617 £1,225

$1,648 £1,248

-1.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 £914

$1,275 £965

-5.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,068 £2,324

$2,713 £2,055

13.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 £1,654

$2,481 £1,880

-12.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,686 £5,064

$6,194 £4,692

7.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,828 £3,657

$5,940 £4,500

-18.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,541 £2,683

$3,282 £2,486

7.89%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Crawley: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,617 in Edinburgh and $1,648 in Crawley. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edinburgh pays 8% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $101 in Edinburgh vs $80.0 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

Crawley wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Edinburgh. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Crawley the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 8% 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: $1,617 in Edinburgh versus $1,648 in Crawley. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Crawley – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $101 in Edinburgh. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,744 per month in Edinburgh versus $2,727 in Crawley – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Crawley 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 Crawley delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,727 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Crawley 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 Crawley gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Edinburgh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.