Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Ealing

For one person, living is cheaper in Edinburgh: $2,724 a month against $3,194 in Ealing, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ealing outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Ealing, United Kingdom
Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,724
/mo nomad
Ealing
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,194
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Ealing

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

A single person spends $2,724 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,194 in Ealing, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $2,724
  • Ealing $3,194

A couple spends around $4,109 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,783 in Ealing, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $4,109
  • Ealing $4,783

A family of three spends $5,494 per month in Edinburgh vs $6,372 in Ealing, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $5,494
  • Ealing $6,372

Edinburgh is about 15% cheaper than Ealing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Edinburgh and Ealing sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 101%, Ealing by 136%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Edinburgh
Ealing
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.24 £17.98
$24.86 £18.44
-2.49%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$108 £80.3
$93.9 £69.7
15.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.67 £7.91
$9.24 £6.85
15.48%
Cappuccino
$5.10 £3.78
$4.99 £3.70
2.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 £1.84
$3.13 £2.32
-20.77%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 £1.66
$1.71 £1.27
30.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.82 £5.80
$8.37 £6.21
-6.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.14 £6.03
$5.92 £4.39
37.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
Ealing
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 £1.29
$1.50 £1.11
16.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.32 £1.72
$1.63 £1.21
42.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.34 £1.73
$1.93 £1.43
21.24%
Eggs
$4.90 £3.64
$4.29 £3.18
14.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.37 £6.95
$8.33 £6.18
12.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.62 £7.14
$9.14 £6.78
5.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.82 £11.73
$16.44 £12.19
-3.77%
Apples (1kg)
$3.09 £2.29
$3.09 £2.29
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.91 £1.42
$1.68 £1.25
13.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.27 £2.43
$1.98 £1.47
65.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.57 £2.65
$3.63 £2.70
-1.65%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 £1.48
$1.40 £1.04
42.14%
Onion (1kg)
$1.57 £1.16
$1.71 £1.27
-8.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.29 £0.96
$1.30 £0.96
-0.77%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 £1.43
$1.65 £1.23
16.97%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$24.15 £17.91
$23.70 £17.58
1.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.82 £8.02
$11.26 £8.35
-3.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.18 £2.36
$2.74 £2.03
16.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27 £2.43
$3.05 £2.27
7.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Edinburgh
Ealing
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.29 £2.44
$4.93 £3.66
-33.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$101 £74.7
$114 £84.9
-12.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.29 £3.93
$5.19 £3.85
1.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.43 £1.80
$3.23 £2.40
-24.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$46.91 £34.79
$41.68 £30.91
12.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.21 £1.64
$2.03 £1.50
8.87%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.5K £28.6K
$39.0K £28.9K
-1.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.5K £30.0K
$40.1K £29.7K
1.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
Ealing
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$335 £248
$293 £217
14.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.31 £12.09
$15.78 £11.70
3.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.88 £30.32
$36.08 £26.76
13.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
Ealing
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.45 £31.48
$44.91 £33.30
-5.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.02 £17.82
$8.16 £6.05
194.36%
Cinema Ticket
$15.02 £11.14
$17.71 £13.13
-15.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Edinburgh
Ealing
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,869 £1,386
$2,318 £1,719
-19.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.0K £19.3K
$27.6K £20.5K
-5.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
Ealing
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$83.9 £62.2
$98.5 £73.0
-14.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.78 £35.43
$33.40 £24.77
43.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 £80.3
$102 £75.8
5.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 £88.3
$106 £78.7
12.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
Ealing
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,673 £1,240
$2,187 £1,622
-23.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,273 £944
$1,797 £1,333
-29.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,012 £2,233
$3,970 £2,944
-24.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,247 £1,666
$3,280 £2,433
-31.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,479 £4,805
$5,147 £3,817
25.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,429 £3,284
$3,994 £2,962
10.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Edinburgh
Ealing
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,796 £2,815
$3,865 £2,867
-1.79%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
5.4
-11.67%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 31, 2026

Last update for Ealing: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
$1.3K
Ealing
$1.8K 41.2% $525
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
$392
Ealing
$345 12% $47
Eating Out
Edinburgh
$361
Ealing
$360 0.5% $1.7
Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
$333
Ealing
$303 9% $30
Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
$162
Ealing
$153 5.3% $8.5
Getting Around
Edinburgh
$131
Ealing
$156 18.5% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
$72
Ealing
$80 10.8% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,673 in Edinburgh versus $2,187 in Ealing. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Edinburgh versus $94 in Ealing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $303 – making Ealing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🇬🇧 Ealing
🕒 Local time
18:16 6:16 PM
18:16 6:16 PM
Same time as Edinburgh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
488,050
113,777
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.742 GBP (1 GBP = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 0.831 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Edinburgh Ealing 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Edinburgh
  • Ealing

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 Ealing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Edinburgh cheaper than Ealing?
Yes – Ealing is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,086 per month in Edinburgh and $4,791 in Ealing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Edinburgh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,673 there versus $2,187 in Ealing.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 12% less in Edinburgh. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,869 per month in Edinburgh and $2,318 in Ealing. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Edinburgh or in Ealing?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,724 in Edinburgh and $3,194 in Ealing. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Edinburgh or Ealing more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Edinburgh or Ealing?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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