Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Glenrothes

For one person, living is cheaper in Glenrothes: $2,416 a month against $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index
118

Cost of Living Index in Glenrothes
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Glenrothes Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

Glenrothes

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,416

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Glenrothes

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

A single person spends $2,645 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,416 in Glenrothes, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,645
Glenrothes $2,416

A couple spends around $4,021 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,465 in Glenrothes, rent included.

Edinburgh $4,021
Glenrothes $3,465

A family of three spends $5,397 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,514 in Glenrothes, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,397
Glenrothes $4,514

Edinburgh costs about 9% more than Glenrothes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Edinburgh and Glenrothes sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 94%, Glenrothes by 78%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.35 £18.19

$15.03 £11.23

62.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 £78.7

$62.7 £46.82

67.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 £7.82

$10.45 £7.81

0.19%

Cappuccino

$5.02 £3.75

$3.77 £2.82

33.16%

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

$2.41 £1.80

$2.55 £1.91

-5.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 £1.64

$2.11 £1.58

3.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 £6.00

$7.09 £5.30

13.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 £5.91

$5.61 £4.19

41.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 £1.31

$1.49 £1.11

17.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 £1.74

$1.76 £1.32

32.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 £1.75

$1.94 £1.45

21.13%

Eggs

$5.13 £3.83

$4.40 £3.29

16.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 £6.76

$8.51 £6.36

6.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 £6.92

$12.08 £9.02

-23.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 £12.08

$16.75 £12.51

-3.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.28

$2.98 £2.23

2.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.36 £1.01

37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$2.87 £2.14

16.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 £2.80

$3.84 £2.87

-2.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.53

$1.72 £1.29

19.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.44 £1.07

6.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 £1.00

$1.20 £0.90

10.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.41

$1.68 £1.25

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.87 £17.83

$21.76 £16.25

9.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 £8.19

$11.19 £8.36

-2.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 £2.36

$2.66 £1.99

18.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.40

$3.07 £2.29

4.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 £2.34

$3.65 £2.72

-14.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 £74.6

$96.9 £72.4

3.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.07

$4.11 £3.07

32.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 £1.42

$2.35 £1.76

-19.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 £21.29

$24.11 £18.01

18.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 £1.54

$1.87 £1.40

10.16%

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

$38.2K £28.6K

$38.8K £29.0K

-1.45%

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

$39.7K £29.7K

$40.1K £30.0K

-0.94%

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

$329 £246

$401 £300

-17.92%

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

$16.81 £12.56

$27.44 £20.50

-38.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.13 £32.22

$42.18 £31.51

2.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 £31.26

$46.60 £34.81

-10.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.33 £17.43

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 £10.96

$11.38 £8.50

28.91%

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

$1,901 £1,420

$1,756 £1,312

8.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K £19.3K

$23.2K £17.3K

11.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 £61.4

$96.3 £72.0

-14.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 £37.36

$47.89 £35.77

4.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £79.0

$104 £77.4

2.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £86.1

$114 £85.0

1.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 £1,263

$1,206 £901

40.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 £900

$1,001 £748

20.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,959 £2,211

$2,101 £1,569

40.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,184 £1,632

$1,675 £1,251

30.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,388 £4,772

$5,047 £3,770

26.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 £3,372

$3,863 £2,886

16.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,632 £2,713

$3,326 £2,485

9.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

5.11

-6.65%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Last update for Glenrothes: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6%

Glenrothes

$1K 41.5% 16.9% $204

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$389 14.7%

Glenrothes

$471 19.5% 21% $82

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$361 13.6%

Glenrothes

$262 10.9% 27.3% $99

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.6%

Glenrothes

$323 13.4% 3.1% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$159 6%

Glenrothes

$163 6.7% 2.4% $3.8

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$127 4.8%

Glenrothes

$127 5.3% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$71 2.7%

Glenrothes

$69 2.9% 2.5% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,691 in Edinburgh versus $1,206 in Glenrothes. 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 9% higher in Edinburgh, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Edinburgh versus $63 in Glenrothes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $323 – making Glenrothes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Glenrothes

🕒 Local time

13:06 1:06 PM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

39,277

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Edinburgh vs Glenrothes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,968 per month in Edinburgh and $3,624 in Glenrothes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Glenrothes, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,206 there versus $1,691 in Edinburgh.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Edinburgh and $63 in Glenrothes. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,645 in Edinburgh and $2,416 in Glenrothes. That makes Glenrothes about 9% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Glenrothes – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Glenrothes. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Edinburgh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.