Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Dartford

For one person, living is cheaper in Edinburgh: $2,645 a month against $2,939 in Dartford, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Dartford outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index
143

Cost of Living Index in Dartford
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Dartford Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

Dartford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,939

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Dartford

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Edinburgh and in Dartford actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,645 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,939 in Dartford, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,645
Dartford $2,939

A couple spends around $4,021 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,203 in Dartford, rent included.

Edinburgh $4,021
Dartford $4,203

A family of three spends $5,397 per month in Edinburgh vs $5,467 in Dartford, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,397
Dartford $5,467

Edinburgh is about 10% cheaper than Dartford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Edinburgh and Dartford sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 94%, Dartford by 116%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.35 £18.15

$23.91 £17.83

1.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 £78.5

$107 £80.1

-2.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 £7.80

$10.54 £7.86

-0.66%

Cappuccino

$5.02 £3.74

$4.82 £3.60

4.15%

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

$2.41 £1.80

$2.96 £2.21

-18.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 £1.64

$1.75 £1.30

25.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 £5.99

$7.17 £5.35

12.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 £5.90

$6.81 £5.08

16.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 £1.31

$1.58 £1.18

10.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 £1.74

$1.99 £1.49

17.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 £1.75

$2.44 £1.82

-3.69%

Eggs

$5.13 £3.82

$4.15 £3.09

23.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 £6.75

$8.64 £6.44

4.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 £6.91

$10.04 £7.48

-7.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 £12.06

$16.28 £12.14

-0.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.27

$3.05 £2.28

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.48 £1.10

26.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$2.71 £2.02

23.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 £2.80

$3.35 £2.50

11.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.53

$1.46 £1.09

40.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.83 £1.36

-16.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 £0.99

$1.44 £1.07

-7.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.41

$0.98 £0.73

92.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.87 £17.80

$23.28 £17.36

2.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 £8.17

$10.73 £8.00

2.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 £2.35

$2.28 £1.70

38.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.40

$2.44 £1.82

31.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 £2.34

$2.80 £2.08

11.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 £74.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.07

$5.43 £4.05

0.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 £1.42

$3.39 £2.53

-43.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 £21.25

$57.1 £42.56

-50.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 £1.54

$2.00 £1.49

3.00%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$38.1K £28.4K

0.26%

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

$39.7K £29.6K

$40.8K £30.4K

-2.69%

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

$329 £245

$285 £212

15.59%

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

$16.81 £12.53

$16.52 £12.32

1.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.13 £32.15

$39.69 £29.59

8.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 £31.19

$44.44 £33.14

-5.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.33 £17.39

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 £10.93

$19.41 £14.47

-24.42%

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

$1,901 £1,417

$2,229 £1,662

-14.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K £19.2K

$29.8K £22.2K

-13.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 £61.3

$54.1 £40.30

52.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 £37.28

$24.07 £17.95

107.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £78.8

$90.1 £67.1

17.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £85.9

$95.2 £71.0

21.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 £1,261

$2,235 £1,666

-24.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 £898

$1,711 £1,276

-29.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,959 £2,206

$2,951 £2,200

0.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,184 £1,629

$2,655 £1,980

-17.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,388 £4,762

$5,354 £3,991

19.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 £3,365

$4,479 £3,339

0.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,632 £2,708

$4,472 £3,334

-18.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

4.79

-0.42%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dartford: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6%

Dartford

$1.7K 58.2% 42% $506

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$389 14.7%

Dartford

$341 11.6% 12.4% $48

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$361 13.6%

Dartford

$349 11.9% 3.3% $12

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.6%

Dartford

$302 10.3% 9.2% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$159 6%

Dartford

$119 4% 25.4% $40

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$127 4.8%

Dartford

$34 * 1.1% 73.6% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$71 2.7%

Dartford

$83 2.8% 17% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,691 in Edinburgh versus $2,235 in Dartford. 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 23% higher in Dartford. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Edinburgh versus $107 in Dartford. Groceries tell a different story – $333 in Edinburgh vs $302 in Dartford – so Dartford wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Dartford

🕒 Local time

13:10 1:10 PM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

51,240

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Edinburgh Dartford 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Edinburgh
Dartford

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Dartford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Dartford is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,968 per month in Edinburgh and $4,408 in Dartford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Edinburgh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,691 there versus $2,235 in Dartford.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Dartford – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Kindergarten costs $1,901 per month in Edinburgh and $2,229 in Dartford. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,645 in Edinburgh and $2,939 in Dartford. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Edinburgh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Edinburgh. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dartford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.