Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Harrow

For one person, living is cheaper in Edinburgh: $2,645 a month against $3,031 in Harrow, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Harrow outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Harrow, United Kingdom
Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,645
/mo nomad
Harrow
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,031
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Harrow

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

A single person spends $2,645 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,031 in Harrow, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $2,645
  • Harrow $3,031

A couple spends around $4,021 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,459 in Harrow, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $4,021
  • Harrow $4,459

A family of three spends $5,397 per month in Edinburgh vs $5,886 in Harrow, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $5,397
  • Harrow $5,886

Edinburgh is about 13% cheaper than Harrow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Edinburgh and Harrow sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 94%, Harrow by 123%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Edinburgh
Harrow
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.35 £18.18
$19.77 £14.76
23.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$105 £78.6
$95.2 £71.1
10.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.47 £7.81
$9.16 £6.84
14.30%
Cappuccino
$5.02 £3.75
$4.81 £3.59
4.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41 £1.80
$2.90 £2.16
-16.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 £1.64
$1.97 £1.47
11.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.04 £6.00
$7.32 £5.47
9.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.91 £5.91
$7.09 £5.29
11.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
Harrow
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.75 £1.31
$1.62 £1.21
8.02%
White Bread (500g)
$2.33 £1.74
$1.84 £1.37
26.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.35 £1.75
$1.64 £1.23
43.29%
Eggs
$5.13 £3.83
$5.83 £4.35
-12.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.05 £6.76
$11.22 £8.37
-19.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.26 £6.92
$8.24 £6.15
12.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.17 £12.08
$12.71 £9.49
27.22%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 £2.28
$2.01 £1.50
51.74%
Banana (1kg)
$1.87 £1.40
$1.32 £0.99
41.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.35 £2.50
$1.77 £1.32
89.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.75 £2.80
$5.24 £3.92
-28.44%
Potato (1kg)
$2.05 £1.53
$1.36 £1.02
50.74%
Onion (1kg)
$1.53 £1.14
$1.55 £1.15
-1.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.33 £1.00
$1.36 £1.02
-2.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 £1.41
$1.37 £1.02
37.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.87 £17.82
$22.23 £16.60
7.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.96 £8.18
$9.55 £7.13
14.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.16 £2.36
$1.96 £1.46
61.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 £2.40
$1.35 £1.01
138.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Edinburgh
Harrow
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.13 £2.34
$4.89 £3.65
-35.99%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$99.8 £74.5
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 £4.07
$13.35 £9.97
-59.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.90 £1.42
$3.92 £2.93
-51.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.50 £21.28
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.06 £1.54
$1.91 £1.43
7.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.5K
$40.3K £30.1K
-5.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.7K £29.7K
$44.8K £33.5K
-11.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
Harrow
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$329 £246
$201 £150
63.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.81 £12.55
$15.01 £11.21
11.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.13 £32.20
$39.90 £29.80
8.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
Harrow
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.84 £31.24
$78.7 £58.8
-46.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.33 £17.42
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.67 £10.95
$14.18 £10.59
3.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Edinburgh
Harrow
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,901 £1,419
$1,929 £1,440
-1.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.8K £19.2K
$24.1K £18.0K
6.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
Harrow
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$82.2 £61.4
$78.7 £58.7
4.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.0 £37.34
$59.9 £44.71
-16.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 £78.9
$106 £79.3
-0.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 £86.0
$161 £120
-28.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
Harrow
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,691 £1,263
$2,297 £1,715
-26.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,205 £900
$1,830 £1,366
-34.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,959 £2,209
$4,227 £3,156
-30.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,184 £1,631
$3,096 £2,312
-29.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,388 £4,769
$7,262 £5,422
-12.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,514 £3,370
$7,235 £5,402
-37.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Edinburgh
Harrow
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,632 £2,712
$5,045 £3,767
-28.01%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
5.3
-10.00%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Last update for Harrow: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
$1.2K
Harrow
$1.8K 51.8% $625
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
$389
Harrow
$256 34.1% $133
Eating Out
Edinburgh
$361
Harrow
$314 13.1% $47
Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
$333
Harrow
$289 13% $43
Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
$159
Harrow
$182 14.8% $24
Getting Around
Edinburgh
$127
Harrow
$53 * 58.7% $75
Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
$71
Harrow
$107 50.4% $36

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,691 in Edinburgh versus $2,297 in Harrow. 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 39% higher in Harrow. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Edinburgh versus $95 in Harrow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $289 – making Harrow the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🇬🇧 Harrow
🕒 Local time
02:27 2:27 AM
02:27 2:27 AM
Same time as Edinburgh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
488,050
149,246
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Edinburgh Harrow 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Edinburgh
  • Harrow

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 Harrow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Edinburgh cheaper than Harrow?
Yes – Harrow is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,968 per month in Edinburgh and $4,546 in Harrow. 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 Edinburgh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,691 there versus $2,297 in Harrow.
What are total monthly expenses in Edinburgh and in Harrow?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,645 in Edinburgh and $3,031 in Harrow. That makes Edinburgh about 13% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,901 per month in Edinburgh and $1,929 in Harrow. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Edinburgh or in Harrow?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,645 in Edinburgh and $3,031 in Harrow. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Edinburgh or in Harrow?
It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,645 in Edinburgh to $3,031 in Harrow. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Edinburgh or Harrow?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Edinburgh. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Harrow makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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