Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Greenock Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Greenock

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,767 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,125 in Greenock, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,064 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,717 in Greenock, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,361 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,309 in Greenock, rent included.

Edinburgh costs about 30% more than Greenock, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Edinburgh and Greenock sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 106%, Greenock by 59%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.73 £15.44

$13.95 £10.39

48.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 £77.1

$68.9 £51.3

50.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 £7.41

$8.26 £6.15

20.46%

Cappuccino

$5.32 £3.97

$3.50 £2.60

52.00%

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

$2.61 £1.94

$2.02 £1.51

29.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 £1.50

$1.34 £1.00

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.64 £5.69

$5.46 £4.07

39.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 £5.16

$6.81 £5.08

1.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.23

$1.74 £1.30

-5.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.29

$1.99 £1.48

-13.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 £1.62

$2.95 £2.20

-26.10%

Eggs

$4.37 £3.26

$3.22 £2.40

35.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 £8.88

$9.73 £7.25

22.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 £7.63

$10.49 £7.81

-2.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.87 £14.06

$13.22 £9.85

42.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 £2.40

$3.38 £2.52

-4.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.11

$1.94 £1.45

-23.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 £3.09

$3.34 £2.49

23.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 £3.53

$4.15 £3.09

14.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 £1.36

$1.79 £1.33

1.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 £1.06

$1.46 £1.09

-2.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.87

$1.37 £1.02

-15.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 £0.99

$1.47 £1.10

-9.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.21 £15.06

$20.56 £15.32

-1.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.36 £8.46

$11.02 £8.21

3.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 £1.86

$2.70 £2.01

-7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.44

$3.65 £2.72

-10.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 £1.97

$3.33 £2.48

-20.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.4 £66.6

$105 £78.3

-14.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.16

$5.45 £4.06

2.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 £2.34

$1.40 £1.04

125.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.77 £31.86

$27.64 £20.59

54.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.87 £1.39

4.28%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$38.7K £28.8K

-1.06%

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

$38.8K £28.9K

$43.0K £32.0K

-9.74%

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

$381 £284

$146 £109

161.51%

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

$17.32 £12.91

$18.44 £13.74

-6.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.43 £33.10

$43.41 £32.34

2.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 £40.60

$27.39 £20.40

98.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.51 £18.26

Cinema Ticket

$14.73 £10.98

$13.35 £9.95

10.34%

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

$1,944 £1,448

$1,504 £1,120

29.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K £18.0K

$8,886 £6,620

171.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 £88.1

$83.3 £62.0

42.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 £41.43

$46.74 £34.82

19.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 £86.7

$109 £81.0

6.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 £93.6

$87.3 £65.1

43.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 £1,231

$601 £448

175.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 £895

$989 £737

21.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,062 £2,281

$890 £663

244.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,168 £1,615

$824 £614

163.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,616 £4,929

$5,289 £3,941

25.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,869 £3,628

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,659 £2,726

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

5.62

0.18%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: May 31, 2026

Last update for Greenock: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,653 in Edinburgh versus $601 in Greenock. 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 $104 in Edinburgh versus $69.0 in Greenock. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $320 – making Greenock the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Greenock: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 30%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,150 per month in Edinburgh and $3,187 in Greenock. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Greenock, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $104 in Edinburgh and $69.0 in Greenock. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,767 in Edinburgh and $2,125 in Greenock. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Greenock, where all-in costs run around $2,125, than in Edinburgh at $2,767. In Greenock it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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