Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Hertfordshire

For one person, living is cheaper in Hertfordshire: $2,499 a month against $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Hertfordshire
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Hertfordshire Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

Hertfordshire

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Hertfordshire

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

A single person spends $2,645 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,499 in Hertfordshire, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,645
Hertfordshire $2,499

A couple spends around $4,021 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,774 in Hertfordshire, rent included.

Edinburgh $4,021
Hertfordshire $3,774

A family of three spends $5,397 per month in Edinburgh vs $5,049 in Hertfordshire, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,397
Hertfordshire $5,049

Edinburgh costs about 6% more than Hertfordshire, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Edinburgh and Hertfordshire sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 94%, Hertfordshire by 84%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.35 £18.19

$26.87 £20.08

-9.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 £78.7

$81.1 £60.6

29.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 £7.82

$10.61 £7.93

-1.32%

Cappuccino

$5.02 £3.75

$5.14 £3.84

-2.33%

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

$2.41 £1.80

$2.42 £1.80

-0.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 £1.64

$2.08 £1.56

5.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 £6.00

$5.50 £4.11

46.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 £5.91

$5.62 £4.20

40.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 £1.31

$1.53 £1.14

14.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 £1.74

$1.91 £1.43

21.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 £1.75

$2.78 £2.08

-15.47%

Eggs

$5.13 £3.83

$3.64 £2.72

40.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 £6.76

$7.83 £5.85

15.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 £6.92

$7.38 £5.51

25.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 £12.08

$16.87 £12.60

-4.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.28

$3.28 £2.45

-7.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.54 £1.15

21.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$3.03 £2.26

10.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 £2.80

$3.40 £2.54

10.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.53

$1.16 £0.87

76.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.82 £1.36

-15.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 £1.00

$1.26 £0.94

5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.41

$1.30 £0.97

45.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.87 £17.83

$20.92 £15.63

14.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 £8.19

$10.09 £7.54

8.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 £2.36

$2.01 £1.50

57.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.40

$1.96 £1.46

64.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 £2.34

$3.54 £2.65

-11.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 £74.6

$85.7 £64.0

16.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.07

$4.05 £3.02

34.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 £1.42

$3.94 £2.94

-51.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 £21.29

$32.16 £24.03

-11.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 £1.54

$2.00 £1.50

3.00%

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

$38.2K £28.6K

$38.3K £28.6K

-0.28%

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

$39.7K £29.7K

$39.8K £29.7K

-0.21%

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

$329 £246

$158 £118

108.92%

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

$16.81 £12.56

$17.19 £12.84

-2.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.13 £32.22

$43.88 £32.78

-1.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 £31.26

$46.49 £34.73

-10.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.33 £17.43

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 £10.96

$13.52 £10.10

8.51%

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

$1,901 £1,420

$1,620 £1,211

17.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K £19.3K

$22.4K £16.7K

15.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 £61.4

$47.28 £35.32

73.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 £37.36

$39.28 £29.35

27.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £79.0

$74.0 £55.3

42.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £86.1

$113 £84.1

2.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 £1,263

$1,787 £1,335

-5.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 £900

$1,307 £977

-7.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,959 £2,211

$2,899 £2,165

2.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,184 £1,632

$2,311 £1,726

-5.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,388 £4,772

$5,001 £3,736

27.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 £3,372

$3,819 £2,853

18.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,632 £2,713

$3,256 £2,432

11.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

5.21

-8.45%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hertfordshire: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6%

Hertfordshire

$1.3K 52.3% 8.5% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$389 14.7%

Hertfordshire

$219 8.8% 43.8% $171

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$361 13.6%

Hertfordshire

$365 14.6% 1.2% $4.5

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.6%

Hertfordshire

$288 11.5% 13.5% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$159 6%

Hertfordshire

$123 4.9% 22.7% $36

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$127 4.8%

Hertfordshire

$124 5% 2.9% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$71 2.7%

Hertfordshire

$74 2.9% 3.3% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,691 in Edinburgh versus $1,787 in Hertfordshire. 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 12% higher in Edinburgh. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Edinburgh versus $81 in Hertfordshire. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $288 – making Hertfordshire the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Hertfordshire

🕒 Local time

02:46 2:46 AM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

33,990

💱 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

On the map

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Edinburgh Hertfordshire 480 km

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Edinburgh
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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 Hertfordshire: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,968 per month in Edinburgh and $3,748 in Hertfordshire. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,691 in Edinburgh and $1,787 in Hertfordshire. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Edinburgh and $81 in Hertfordshire. 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 $2,499 in Hertfordshire. That makes Hertfordshire about 6% cheaper.

It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,499 in Hertfordshire to $2,645 in Edinburgh. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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