Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Eastleigh

For one person, living is cheaper in Eastleigh: $2,456 a month against $2,724 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Eastleigh, United Kingdom
Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,724
/mo nomad
Eastleigh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,456
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Eastleigh

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

A single person spends $2,724 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,456 in Eastleigh, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $2,724
  • Eastleigh $2,456

A couple spends around $4,109 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,553 in Eastleigh, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $4,109
  • Eastleigh $3,553

A family of three spends $5,494 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,650 in Eastleigh, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $5,494
  • Eastleigh $4,650

Edinburgh costs about 11% more than Eastleigh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Edinburgh and Eastleigh sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 101%, Eastleigh by 82%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Edinburgh
Eastleigh
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.24 £17.99
$24.18 £17.94
0.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$108 £80.3
$81.2 £60.2
33.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.67 £7.92
$9.62 £7.14
10.91%
Cappuccino
$5.10 £3.78
$4.75 £3.52
7.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 £1.84
$2.67 £1.98
-7.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 £1.66
$0.78 £0.58
187.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.82 £5.80
$5.39 £4.00
45.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.14 £6.04
$5.39 £4.00
51.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
Eastleigh
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 £1.29
$1.77 £1.31
-1.69%
White Bread (500g)
$2.32 £1.72
$1.91 £1.42
21.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.34 £1.74
$2.09 £1.55
11.96%
Eggs
$4.90 £3.64
$3.14 £2.33
56.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.37 £6.95
$4.72 £3.50
98.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.62 £7.14
$10.48 £7.78
-8.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.82 £11.73
$20.12 £14.93
-21.37%
Apples (1kg)
$3.09 £2.29
$4.40 £3.26
-29.77%
Banana (1kg)
$1.91 £1.42
$1.44 £1.07
32.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.27 £2.43
$1.89 £1.40
73.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.57 £2.65
$3.48 £2.58
2.59%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 £1.48
$1.61 £1.19
23.60%
Onion (1kg)
$1.57 £1.16
$1.96 £1.46
-19.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.29 £0.96
$1.58 £1.17
-18.35%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 £1.44
$1.50 £1.11
28.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$24.15 £17.92
$24.06 £17.85
0.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.82 £8.03
$11.25 £8.35
-3.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.18 £2.36
$3.11 £2.31
2.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27 £2.43
$2.94 £2.18
11.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Edinburgh
Eastleigh
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.29 £2.44
$4.10 £3.04
-19.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$101 £74.7
$112 £83.2
-10.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.29 £3.93
$4.71 £3.49
12.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.43 £1.80
$2.00 £1.48
21.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$46.91 £34.80
$37.24 £27.63
25.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.21 £1.64
$2.05 £1.52
7.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.5K £28.6K
$39.0K £28.9K
-1.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.5K £30.0K
$41.0K £30.4K
-1.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
Eastleigh
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$335 £248
$384 £285
-12.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.31 £12.10
$24.61 £18.26
-33.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.88 £30.33
$51.0 £37.82
-19.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
Eastleigh
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.45 £31.50
$43.78 £32.48
-3.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.02 £17.82
$12.28 £9.11
95.60%
Cinema Ticket
$15.02 £11.14
$18.06 £13.40
-16.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Edinburgh
Eastleigh
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,869 £1,387
$1,910 £1,417
-2.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.0K £19.3K
$24.9K £18.4K
4.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
Eastleigh
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$83.9 £62.2
$65.9 £48.86
27.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.78 £35.45
$46.89 £34.79
1.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 £80.3
$72.7 £53.9
48.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 £88.4
$79.2 £58.8
50.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
Eastleigh
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,673 £1,241
$1,348 £1,000
24.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,273 £944
$1,006 £747
26.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,012 £2,235
$2,317 £1,719
29.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,247 £1,667
$1,614 £1,197
39.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,479 £4,807
$4,945 £3,669
31.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,429 £3,286
$4,368 £3,241
1.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Edinburgh
Eastleigh
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,796 £2,817
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
5.54
-13.90%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 31, 2026

Last update for Eastleigh: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
$1.3K
Eastleigh
$1K 20.9% $266
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
$392
Eastleigh
$459 17.2% $67
Eating Out
Edinburgh
$361
Eastleigh
$331 8.5% $31
Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
$333
Eastleigh
$317 4.7% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
$162
Eastleigh
$119 26.3% $42
Getting Around
Edinburgh
$131
Eastleigh
$143 9.1% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
$72
Eastleigh
$80 10.2% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,673 in Edinburgh versus $1,348 in Eastleigh. 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 $81 in Eastleigh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $317 – making Eastleigh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🇬🇧 Eastleigh
🕒 Local time
09:00 9:00 AM
09:00 9:00 AM
Same time as Edinburgh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
488,050
123,160
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.742 GBP (1 GBP = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Edinburgh Eastleigh 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Edinburgh
  • Eastleigh

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 Eastleigh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Edinburgh or Eastleigh?
Edinburgh costs about 11% more than Eastleigh, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Edinburgh and in Eastleigh?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,086 per month in Edinburgh and $3,684 in Eastleigh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Edinburgh or Eastleigh?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Eastleigh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,348 there versus $1,673 in Edinburgh.
How do dining costs compare in Edinburgh and in Eastleigh?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Edinburgh and $81 in Eastleigh. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Edinburgh compared to Eastleigh?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,724 in Edinburgh and $2,456 in Eastleigh. That makes Eastleigh about 10% cheaper.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Edinburgh or in Eastleigh?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,724 in Edinburgh and $2,456 in Eastleigh. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Edinburgh or Eastleigh?
It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,456 in Eastleigh to $2,724 in Edinburgh. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Edinburgh compared to Eastleigh?
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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