Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Dundee Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Dundee

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,767 in Edinburgh versus $1,967 in Dundee.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,064 in Edinburgh versus $2,970 in Dundee.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,361 in Edinburgh versus $3,974 in Dundee.

Living in Edinburgh is roughly 41% more expensive than Dundee, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edinburgh 106% above, Dundee 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.73 £15.54

$20.56 £15.42

0.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 £77.6

$93.9 £70.4

10.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 £7.46

$10.24 £7.68

-2.83%

Cappuccino

$5.32 £3.99

$4.58 £3.43

16.16%

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

$2.61 £1.96

$2.32 £1.74

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 £1.51

$1.32 £0.99

52.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.64 £5.73

$5.98 £4.49

27.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 £5.20

$5.80 £4.35

19.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.24

$2.13 £1.60

-22.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.30

$1.55 £1.16

11.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 £1.64

$2.48 £1.86

-12.10%

Eggs

$4.37 £3.28

$4.88 £3.66

-10.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 £8.94

$8.31 £6.23

43.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 £7.68

$10.05 £7.54

1.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.87 £14.15

$15.54 £11.65

21.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 £2.42

$3.19 £2.39

0.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.12

$2.43 £1.82

-38.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 £3.11

$2.63 £1.97

57.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 £3.55

$4.57 £3.43

3.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 £1.37

$2.12 £1.59

-14.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 £1.06

$1.93 £1.45

-26.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.87

$1.23 £0.92

-5.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 £1.00

$2.07 £1.55

-35.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.21 £15.16

$18.67 £14.00

8.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.36 £8.52

$11.87 £8.90

-4.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 £1.87

$3.25 £2.44

-23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.46

$2.86 £2.15

14.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 £1.98

$3.49 £2.61

-24.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.4 £67.1

$58.4 £43.77

53.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.18

$4.86 £3.64

14.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 £2.36

$1.41 £1.05

123.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.77 £32.07

$23.08 £17.31

85.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.46

$1.87 £1.40

4.28%

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

$38.2K £28.7K

$39.0K £29.2K

-1.88%

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

$38.8K £29.1K

$46.7K £35.0K

-16.82%

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

$381 £286

$235 £176

62.41%

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

$17.32 £12.99

$14.61 £10.95

18.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.43 £33.32

$47.93 £35.94

-7.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 £40.87

$49.40 £37.04

10.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.51 £18.38

$9.55 £7.16

156.65%

Cinema Ticket

$14.73 £11.05

$12.82 £9.62

14.90%

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

$1,944 £1,458

$1,589 £1,192

22.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K £18.1K

$16.4K £12.3K

46.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 £88.7

$97.1 £72.8

21.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 £41.70

$64.5 £48.34

-13.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 £87.2

$137 £103

-15.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 £94.2

$122 £91.2

3.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 £1,239

$942 £707

75.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 £901

$670 £502

79.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,062 £2,296

$1,547 £1,160

98.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,168 £1,626

$1,123 £842

93.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,616 £4,961

$4,136 £3,101

59.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,869 £3,651

$3,363 £2,521

44.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,659 £2,743

$3,219 £2,413

13.67%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Dundee: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Edinburgh and $942 in Dundee. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edinburgh pays 14% 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: $104 in Edinburgh vs $94.0 in Dundee for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $338 per month, with Dundee 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 Dundee: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Edinburgh and Dundee differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($2,767 vs $1,967 including rent). Dundee is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Edinburgh pays 14% more on average, 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: $1,653 in Edinburgh versus $942 in Dundee. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dundee runs roughly 53% less than in Edinburgh. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,944 in Edinburgh versus $1,589 in Dundee. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,967 in Dundee versus $2,767 in Edinburgh, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dundee but tight or insufficient in Edinburgh. The gap between the two cities makes Dundee the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Edinburgh and Dundee 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 Dundee gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Edinburgh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.