Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Dudley

For one person, living is cheaper in Dudley: $2,131 a month against $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,601
/mo nomad
Dudley
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,131
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Dudley

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 Dudley actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,601 in Edinburgh versus $2,131 in Dudley.

  • Edinburgh $2,601
  • Dudley $2,131

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,985 in Edinburgh versus $2,381 in Dudley.

  • Edinburgh $3,985
  • Dudley $2,381

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,369 in Edinburgh versus $2,630 in Dudley.

  • Edinburgh $5,369
  • Dudley $2,630

Living in Edinburgh is roughly 22% more expensive than in Dudley, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edinburgh 92% above, Dudley 57% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Edinburgh
Dudley
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.67 £17.76
$20.44 £15.33
15.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$108 £81.4
$96.4 £72.3
12.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 £8.04
$9.39 £7.04
14.06%
Cappuccino
$5.25 £3.94
$5.01 £3.76
4.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 £1.86
$2.56 £1.92
-3.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 £1.63
$1.95 £1.47
11.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.94 £5.96
$6.62 £4.97
19.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.00 £6.00
$6.84 £5.13
16.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
Dudley
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 £1.27
$1.84 £1.38
-8.15%
White Bread (500g)
$2.35 £1.77
$1.43 £1.07
64.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.36 £1.77
$2.32 £1.74
1.72%
Eggs
$4.96 £3.72
$3.76 £2.82
31.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.20 £6.91
$8.17 £6.13
12.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.33 £7.00
$8.50 £6.38
9.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.79 £11.85
$15.24 £11.44
3.61%
Apples (1kg)
$3.01 £2.26
$2.60 £1.95
15.77%
Banana (1kg)
$1.88 £1.41
$1.69 £1.26
11.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.42 £2.57
$2.42 £1.81
41.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.67 £2.75
$3.72 £2.79
-1.34%
Potato (1kg)
$2.01 £1.51
$1.52 £1.14
32.24%
Onion (1kg)
$1.55 £1.16
$1.56 £1.17
-0.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.32 £0.99
$1.09 £0.82
21.10%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 £1.45
$1.39 £1.04
38.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.23 £17.43
$22.28 £16.71
4.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.20 £8.40
$10.68 £8.01
4.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.12 £2.34
$3.26 £2.45
-4.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27 £2.46
$3.29 £2.47
-0.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Edinburgh
Dudley
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 £2.35
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$97.0 £72.8
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.43 £4.08
$4.35 £3.26
24.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.82 £1.37
$1.66 £1.25
9.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.32 £21.25
$24.36 £18.27
16.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.08 £1.56
$2.02 £1.52
2.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.6K £28.9K
$37.9K £28.5K
1.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.9K £29.9K
$40.9K £30.6K
-2.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
Dudley
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$328 £246
$324 £243
1.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.47 £12.36
$20.11 £15.08
-18.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.32 £31.75
$39.35 £29.52
7.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
Dudley
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.41 £33.32
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.05 £17.30
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.39 £10.79
$15.51 £11.63
-7.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Edinburgh
Dudley
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,775 £1,331
$1,588 £1,192
11.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K £19.2K
$20.2K £15.1K
26.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
Dudley
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$81.2 £60.9
$107 £80.3
-24.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.04 £36.79
$48.74 £36.57
0.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 £81.2
$86.5 £64.9
25.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 £85.9
$98.5 £73.9
16.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
Dudley
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,600 £1,200
$1,288 £966
24.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,168 £876
$940 £705
24.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,803 £2,103
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,155 £1,617
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,714 £5,037
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,715 £3,538
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Edinburgh
Dudley
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,558 £2,669
$2,489 £1,868
42.92%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
5
-4.60%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 17, 2026

Last update for Dudley: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
$1.2K
Dudley
$940 19.5% $228
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
$387
Dudley
$383 0.9% $3.5
Eating Out
Edinburgh
$359
Dudley
$317 11.7% $42
Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
$332
Dudley
$294 11.4% $38
Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
$159
Dudley
$153 3.5% $5.5
Getting Around
Edinburgh
$124
Dudley
$13 * 89.8% $111
Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
$73
Dudley
$31 * 57.6% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,600 in Edinburgh and $1,288 in Dudley. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edinburgh pays 43% 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: $108 in Edinburgh vs $96.0 in Dudley for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $294 per month, with Dudley cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🇬🇧 Dudley
🕒 Local time
15:00 3:00 PM
15:00 3:00 PM
Same time as Edinburgh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
488,050
195,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Edinburgh Dudley 390 km
From you
  • Edinburgh
  • Dudley

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 Dudley: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Edinburgh and in Dudley?
Edinburgh and Dudley differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($2,601 vs $2,131 including rent). Dudley is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Edinburgh or Dudley?
Average pay runs 43% higher in Edinburgh, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Edinburgh and in Dudley?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,600 in Edinburgh versus $1,288 in Dudley. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Edinburgh and Dudley?
Childcare runs $1,775 in Edinburgh versus $1,588 in Dudley. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Dudley – a meal for two runs $96.0 versus $108 in Edinburgh. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,131 in Dudley versus $2,601 in Edinburgh, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dudley but tight or insufficient in Edinburgh. The gap between the two cities makes Dudley the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Edinburgh and Dudley?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Edinburgh or Dudley safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Edinburgh and Dudley are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Edinburgh or Dudley?
Expats usually find Dudley gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Edinburgh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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