Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Dumfries Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Dumfries

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,691 in Edinburgh versus $1,825 in Dumfries.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,039 in Edinburgh versus $2,806 in Dumfries.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,386 in Edinburgh versus $3,788 in Dumfries.

Living in Edinburgh is roughly 47% more expensive than in Dumfries, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edinburgh 96% above, Dumfries 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.27 £17.95

$17.12 £12.67

41.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 £81.0

$80.4 £59.5

36.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 £8.07

$8.11 £6.00

34.53%

Cappuccino

$5.18 £3.83

$4.42 £3.27

17.19%

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

$2.53 £1.87

$2.43 £1.80

4.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 £1.60

$1.33 £0.99

63.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.19 £6.06

$5.33 £3.95

53.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.12 £6.01

$6.27 £4.64

29.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 £1.30

$1.55 £1.15

13.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 £1.72

$1.81 £1.34

28.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 £1.72

$2.88 £2.13

-19.10%

Eggs

$5.09 £3.76

$4.50 £3.33

13.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.30 £6.88

$7.94 £5.87

17.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 £7.06

$9.98 £7.38

-4.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.99 £11.83

$15.58 £11.52

2.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 £2.22

$2.44 £1.81

23.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 £1.33

$2.33 £1.73

-23.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 £2.56

$2.34 £1.73

47.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 £2.61

$2.89 £2.14

22.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 £1.62

$3.10 £2.29

-29.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 £1.12

$2.09 £1.55

-27.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 £0.94

$1.67 £1.24

-23.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 £1.41

$2.08 £1.54

-8.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.28 £17.96

$24.21 £17.91

0.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 £8.36

$10.85 £8.03

4.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 £2.23

$3.39 £2.51

-10.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.35

$3.29 £2.43

-3.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 £2.18

$4.25 £3.15

-30.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 £74.6

$97.3 £72.0

3.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.03

$5.59 £4.14

-2.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 £1.44

$1.35 £1.00

44.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.94 £21.41

$12.39 £9.17

133.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 £1.52

$1.96 £1.45

4.59%

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

$39.3K £29.0K

$39.0K £28.8K

0.75%

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

$41.4K £30.6K

$41.5K £30.7K

-0.12%

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

$343 £254

$246 £182

39.35%

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

$17.03 £12.60

$23.59 £17.45

-27.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.01 £31.82

$42.96 £31.78

0.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.96 £35.48

$52.0 £38.44

-7.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.68 £17.52

$23.87 £17.66

-0.80%

Cinema Ticket

$15.04 £11.13

$13.81 £10.22

8.91%

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

$1,824 £1,350

$1,988 £1,471

-8.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.5K £18.8K

$21.7K £16.1K

17.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.8 £63.5

$83.3 £61.6

3.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 £37.21

$54.6 £40.42

-7.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £79.6

$127 £94.0

-15.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 £87.6

$89.7 £66.4

32.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 £1,217

$640 £473

157.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 £909

$542 £401

126.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,844 £2,104

$1,032 £763

175.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,187 £1,618

$989 £732

121.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,732 £4,980

$5,197 £3,845

29.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,734 £3,502

$3,661 £2,708

29.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,581 £2,649

$3,504 £2,593

2.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.78

5.41

-11.65%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: September 1, 2026

Last update for Dumfries: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,644 in Edinburgh and $640 in Dumfries. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edinburgh pays 2% 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: $109 in Edinburgh vs $80.0 in Dumfries for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $324 per month, with Dumfries 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 Dumfries: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dumfries is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 2% 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: $1,644 in Edinburgh versus $640 in Dumfries. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Dumfries – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $109 in Edinburgh. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,691 per month in Edinburgh versus $1,825 in Dumfries – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,825 in Dumfries versus $2,691 in Edinburgh, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Dumfries but tight or insufficient in Edinburgh. The gap between the two cities makes Dumfries the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dumfries 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 Dumfries 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 Dumfries gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Edinburgh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.