Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Cumbria Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Cumbria

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,767 in Edinburgh versus $2,293 in Cumbria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,064 in Edinburgh versus $3,410 in Cumbria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,361 in Edinburgh versus $4,528 in Cumbria.

Living in Edinburgh is roughly 21% more expensive than Cumbria, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edinburgh 106% above, Cumbria 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.73 £15.44

$20.49 £15.26

1.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 £77.1

$82.5 £61.5

25.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 £7.41

$10.03 £7.47

-0.80%

Cappuccino

$5.32 £3.97

$4.77 £3.56

11.53%

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

$2.61 £1.94

$2.30 £1.71

13.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 £1.50

$1.64 £1.22

22.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.64 £5.69

$6.12 £4.56

24.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 £5.16

$5.99 £4.46

15.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.23

$1.60 £1.19

3.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.29

$1.86 £1.39

-6.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 £1.62

$2.28 £1.70

-4.39%

Eggs

$4.37 £3.26

$3.85 £2.87

13.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 £8.88

$9.86 £7.34

20.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 £7.63

$9.01 £6.71

13.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.87 £14.06

$14.29 £10.65

32.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 £2.40

$3.10 £2.31

3.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.11

$1.58 £1.18

-5.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 £3.09

$2.78 £2.07

48.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 £3.53

$3.56 £2.65

33.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 £1.36

$1.67 £1.25

8.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 £1.06

$1.54 £1.14

-7.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.87

$1.07 £0.79

8.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 £0.99

$1.51 £1.12

-11.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.21 £15.06

$19.17 £14.29

5.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.36 £8.46

$9.88 £7.36

14.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 £1.86

$2.81 £2.09

-11.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.44

$3.15 £2.35

3.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 £1.97

$3.31 £2.46

-20.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.4 £66.6

$89.0 £66.3

0.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.16

$5.47 £4.08

2.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 £2.34

$1.90 £1.42

65.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.77 £31.86

$23.51 £17.51

81.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$2.07 £1.54

-5.80%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$38.1K £28.4K

0.44%

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

$38.8K £28.9K

$41.4K £30.8K

-6.12%

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

$381 £284

$293 £218

30.14%

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

$17.32 £12.91

$17.02 £12.68

1.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.43 £33.10

$43.78 £32.62

1.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 £40.60

$45.40 £33.82

20.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.51 £18.26

$18.68 £13.92

31.21%

Cinema Ticket

$14.73 £10.98

$13.62 £10.15

8.15%

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

$1,944 £1,448

$1,584 £1,180

22.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K £18.0K

$18.1K £13.5K

33.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 £88.1

$85.3 £63.6

38.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 £41.43

$43.61 £32.49

27.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 £86.7

$93.4 £69.6

24.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 £93.6

$100 £74.5

25.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 £1,231

$1,237 £921

33.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 £895

$983 £732

22.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,062 £2,281

$2,018 £1,504

51.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,168 £1,615

$1,706 £1,271

27.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,616 £4,929

$5,414 £4,034

22.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,869 £3,628

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,659 £2,726

$4,778 £3,559

-23.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

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

Last update for Edinburgh: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cumbria: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Edinburgh and $1,237 in Cumbria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cumbria pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $104 in Edinburgh vs $83.0 in Cumbria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $301 per month, with Cumbria 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 Cumbria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cumbria is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cumbria earns 31% less. 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: $1,653 in Edinburgh versus $1,237 in Cumbria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cumbria – a meal for two runs $83.0 versus $104 in Edinburgh. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,767 per month in Edinburgh versus $2,293 in Cumbria – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,293 in Cumbria versus $2,767 in Edinburgh, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cumbria but tight or insufficient in Edinburgh. The gap between the two cities makes Cumbria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cumbria 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 Cumbria 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 Cumbria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Edinburgh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.