Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Farnborough

For one person, living is cheaper in Farnborough: $2,365 a month against $2,724 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Farnborough, United Kingdom
Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,724
/mo nomad
Farnborough
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,365
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Farnborough

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

A single person spends $2,724 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,365 in Farnborough, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $2,724
  • Farnborough $2,365

A couple spends around $4,109 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,648 in Farnborough, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $4,109
  • Farnborough $3,648

A family of three spends $5,494 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,932 in Farnborough, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $5,494
  • Farnborough $4,932

Edinburgh costs about 15% more than Farnborough, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Edinburgh and Farnborough sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 101%, Farnborough by 75%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Edinburgh
Farnborough
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.24 £18.05
$19.45 £14.48
24.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$108 £80.6
$85.9 £63.9
26.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.67 £7.94
$9.40 £7.00
13.51%
Cappuccino
$5.10 £3.79
$4.47 £3.32
14.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 £1.85
$2.75 £2.05
-9.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 £1.66
$2.04 £1.52
9.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.82 £5.82
$7.40 £5.51
5.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.14 £6.06
$6.65 £4.95
22.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
Farnborough
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 £1.29
$1.44 £1.07
20.83%
White Bread (500g)
$2.32 £1.73
$1.54 £1.15
50.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.34 £1.74
$3.64 £2.71
-35.71%
Eggs
$4.90 £3.65
$3.33 £2.48
47.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.37 £6.97
$8.68 £6.46
7.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.62 £7.16
$8.49 £6.32
13.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.82 £11.77
$13.16 £9.80
20.21%
Apples (1kg)
$3.09 £2.30
$1.72 £1.28
79.65%
Banana (1kg)
$1.91 £1.42
$1.94 £1.44
-1.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.27 £2.44
$2.87 £2.14
13.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.57 £2.66
$2.97 £2.21
20.20%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 £1.48
$1.61 £1.20
23.60%
Onion (1kg)
$1.57 £1.17
$1.62 £1.20
-3.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.29 £0.96
$1.03 £0.77
25.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 £1.44
$0.59 £0.44
227.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$24.15 £17.98
$23.42 £17.43
3.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.82 £8.05
$11.58 £8.62
-6.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.18 £2.37
$2.66 £1.98
19.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27 £2.44
$2.13 £1.59
53.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Edinburgh
Farnborough
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.29 £2.45
$2.75 £2.05
19.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$101 £75.0
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.29 £3.94
$2.99 £2.23
76.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.43 £1.81
$1.60 £1.19
51.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$46.91 £34.92
$11.90 £8.86
294.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.21 £1.64
$1.90 £1.42
16.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.5K £28.7K
$38.5K £28.6K
0.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.5K £30.1K
$40.0K £29.8K
1.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
Farnborough
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$335 £249
$164 £122
104.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.31 £12.14
$15.00 £11.16
8.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.88 £30.43
$43.20 £32.15
-5.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
Farnborough
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.45 £31.60
$56.3 £41.91
-24.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.02 £17.88
$23.69 £17.63
1.39%
Cinema Ticket
$15.02 £11.18
$9.58 £7.13
56.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Edinburgh
Farnborough
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,869 £1,392
$1,599 £1,190
16.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.0K £19.4K
$24.0K £17.8K
8.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
Farnborough
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$83.9 £62.4
$91.8 £68.3
-8.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.78 £35.57
$39.65 £29.51
20.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 £80.6
$102 £75.8
6.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 £88.7
$121 £90.2
-1.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
Farnborough
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,673 £1,245
$1,682 £1,252
-0.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,273 £947
$1,307 £973
-2.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,012 £2,242
$2,477 £1,844
21.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,247 £1,672
$2,444 £1,820
-8.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,479 £4,823
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,429 £3,297
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Edinburgh
Farnborough
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,796 £2,826
$4,037 £3,005
-5.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
5.16
-7.56%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 31, 2026

Last update for Farnborough: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
$1.3K
Farnborough
$1.3K 2.7% $34
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
$392
Farnborough
$222 43.3% $170
Eating Out
Edinburgh
$361
Farnborough
$307 15.1% $54
Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
$333
Farnborough
$272 18.2% $60
Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
$162
Farnborough
$160 1.3% $2.1
Getting Around
Edinburgh
$131
Farnborough
$22 * 83.2% $109
Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
$72
Farnborough
$75 4.1% $3

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,673 in Edinburgh versus $1,682 in Farnborough. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 6% higher in Farnborough, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Edinburgh versus $86 in Farnborough. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $272 – making Farnborough the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🇬🇧 Farnborough
🕒 Local time
14:41 2:41 PM
14:41 2:41 PM
Same time as Edinburgh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
488,050
60,652
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.744 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.835 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Edinburgh Farnborough 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Edinburgh
  • Farnborough

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 Farnborough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Farnborough cheaper than Edinburgh?
Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 15%, 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 $3,548 in Farnborough. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Edinburgh and Farnborough?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,673 in Edinburgh and $1,682 in Farnborough. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
What are total monthly expenses in Edinburgh and in Farnborough?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,724 in Edinburgh and $2,365 in Farnborough. That makes Farnborough about 13% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,869 per month in Edinburgh and $1,599 in Farnborough. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $3,000 enough for either Edinburgh or Farnborough?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,724 in Edinburgh and $2,365 in Farnborough, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Edinburgh or in Farnborough?
It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,365 in Farnborough to $2,724 in Edinburgh. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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