Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Greenock

For one person, living is cheaper in Greenock: $2,267 a month against $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Greenock, United Kingdom
Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,645
/mo nomad
Greenock
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,267
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Greenock

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

A single person spends $2,645 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,267 in Greenock, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $2,645
  • Greenock $2,267

A couple spends around $4,021 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,290 in Greenock, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $4,021
  • Greenock $3,290

A family of three spends $5,397 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,312 in Greenock, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $5,397
  • Greenock $4,312

Edinburgh costs about 17% more than Greenock, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Edinburgh and Greenock sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 94%, Greenock by 67%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Edinburgh
Greenock
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.35 £18.30
$13.87 £10.43
75.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$105 £79.1
$65.3 £49.09
61.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.47 £7.87
$7.92 £5.95
32.20%
Cappuccino
$5.02 £3.77
$3.35 £2.52
49.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41 £1.81
$1.97 £1.48
22.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 £1.65
$1.35 £1.02
62.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.04 £6.04
$5.41 £4.07
48.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.91 £5.94
$7.95 £5.97
-0.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
Greenock
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.75 £1.32
$0.83 £0.62
110.84%
White Bread (500g)
$2.33 £1.75
$2.30 £1.73
1.30%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.35 £1.76
$2.63 £1.98
-10.65%
Eggs
$5.13 £3.85
$3.11 £2.34
64.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.05 £6.80
$9.24 £6.95
-2.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.26 £6.96
$11.04 £8.30
-16.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.17 £12.15
$15.86 £11.92
1.95%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 £2.29
$3.24 £2.44
-5.86%
Banana (1kg)
$1.87 £1.41
$1.96 £1.47
-4.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.35 £2.52
$3.42 £2.57
-2.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.75 £2.82
$4.01 £3.02
-6.48%
Potato (1kg)
$2.05 £1.54
$2.27 £1.70
-9.69%
Onion (1kg)
$1.53 £1.15
$1.55 £1.16
-1.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.33 £1.00
$1.40 £1.06
-5.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 £1.42
$1.90 £1.42
-0.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.87 £17.94
$23.45 £17.62
1.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.96 £8.24
$12.39 £9.31
-11.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.16 £2.37
$2.71 £2.04
16.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 £2.42
$3.18 £2.39
1.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Edinburgh
Greenock
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.13 £2.36
$3.68 £2.77
-14.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$99.8 £75.0
$97.7 £73.4
2.14%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 £4.10
$4.60 £3.46
18.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.90 £1.43
$1.55 £1.16
22.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.50 £21.42
$20.00 £15.03
42.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.06 £1.55
$2.16 £1.63
-4.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.7K
$39.0K £29.3K
-2.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.7K £29.8K
$39.8K £29.9K
-0.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
Greenock
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$329 £247
$266 £200
23.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.81 £12.63
$24.44 £18.37
-31.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.13 £32.41
$45.60 £34.27
-5.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
Greenock
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.84 £31.45
$46.07 £34.62
-9.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.33 £17.53
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.67 £11.02
$13.15 £9.88
11.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Edinburgh
Greenock
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,901 £1,428
$1,441 £1,083
31.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.8K £19.4K
$17.7K £13.3K
45.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
Greenock
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$82.2 £61.8
$84.4 £63.5
-2.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.0 £37.58
$46.60 £35.02
7.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 £79.4
$110 £82.7
-3.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 £86.6
$102 £76.5
13.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
Greenock
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,691 £1,271
$1,211 £910
39.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,205 £906
$1,020 £766
18.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,959 £2,224
$2,143 £1,611
38.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,184 £1,642
$1,665 £1,251
31.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,388 £4,801
$5,022 £3,774
27.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,514 £3,392
$3,936 £2,958
14.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Edinburgh
Greenock
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,632 £2,730
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
4.91
-2.85%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Last update for Greenock: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
$1.2K
Greenock
$1K 15.4% $185
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
$389
Greenock
$336 13.8% $54
Eating Out
Edinburgh
$361
Greenock
$231 35.9% $130
Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
$333
Greenock
$329 1% $3.3
Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
$159
Greenock
$154 2.9% $4.6
Getting Around
Edinburgh
$127
Greenock
$125 2% $2.5
Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
$71
Greenock
$72 1.7% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,691 in Edinburgh versus $1,211 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 $105 in Edinburgh versus $65 in Greenock. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $329 – making Greenock the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🇬🇧 Greenock
🕒 Local time
12:33 12:33 PM
12:33 12:33 PM
Same time as Edinburgh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
488,050
42,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.752 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.836 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Edinburgh Greenock 98 km
From you
  • Edinburgh
  • Greenock

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 Greenock: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Greenock cheaper than Edinburgh?
Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,968 per month in Edinburgh and $3,401 in Greenock. 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 Greenock, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,211 there versus $1,691 in Edinburgh.
Is eating out cheaper in Edinburgh or in Greenock?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Edinburgh and $65 in Greenock. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,901 per month in Edinburgh and $1,441 in Greenock. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,000 enough to cover costs in Edinburgh or in Greenock?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,645 in Edinburgh and $2,267 in Greenock. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Edinburgh or Greenock more family-friendly?
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.

Edinburgh vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?