Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Inverness Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Inverness

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,736 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,436 in Inverness, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,085 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,509 in Inverness, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,435 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,583 in Inverness, rent included.

Edinburgh costs about 12% more than Inverness, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Edinburgh and Inverness sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 106%, Inverness by 83%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.57 £15.24

$20.20 £14.97

1.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 £76.0

$98.5 £73.0

4.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 £7.42

$9.60 £7.12

4.38%

Cappuccino

$5.24 £3.88

$4.24 £3.14

23.58%

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

$2.54 £1.89

$2.15 £1.59

18.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 £1.45

$1.45 £1.08

35.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.28 £5.40

$6.77 £5.02

7.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 £5.10

$6.63 £4.91

3.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.75 £1.30

-2.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.28

$1.66 £1.23

4.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 £1.59

$2.55 £1.89

-16.08%

Eggs

$4.26 £3.15

$3.88 £2.88

9.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.00 £8.89

$10.05 £7.45

19.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.58 £7.84

$9.35 £6.93

13.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.31 £13.57

$14.24 £10.55

28.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 £2.33

$2.57 £1.91

22.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 £1.15

$1.85 £1.37

-16.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 £2.97

$2.15 £1.59

86.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 £3.55

$1.38 £1.02

247.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 £1.34

$1.70 £1.26

6.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 £1.06

$1.24 £0.92

15.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 £0.90

$1.25 £0.93

-3.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 £1.01

$1.62 £1.20

-16.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.70 £15.34

$18.31 £13.57

13.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 £8.11

$11.08 £8.21

-1.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 £1.92

$2.90 £2.15

-10.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 £2.54

$3.00 £2.23

14.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 £1.98

$3.66 £2.72

-27.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.3 £66.9

$64.2 £47.60

40.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.04

$5.24 £3.88

4.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.12 £2.31

$2.23 £1.66

39.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.72 £31.67

$24.52 £18.17

74.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.43

$1.91 £1.42

1.05%

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

$38.7K £28.7K

$34.9K £25.9K

10.71%

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

$39.4K £29.2K

$39.3K £29.1K

0.19%

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

$385 £285

$377 £280

1.96%

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

$17.38 £12.88

$17.61 £13.05

-1.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.71 £33.14

$40.92 £30.33

9.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 £40.61

$44.23 £32.78

23.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.93 £18.48

$8.02 £5.94

210.85%

Cinema Ticket

$14.65 £10.86

$15.03 £11.14

-2.53%

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

$1,953 £1,448

$1,068 £791

82.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K £17.2K

$18.3K £13.5K

27.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 £87.5

$96.7 £71.6

22.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 £40.43

$36.09 £26.75

51.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 £87.6

$95.4 £70.7

23.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 £91.2

$109 £81.1

12.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 £1,236

$1,349 £1,000

23.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 £896

$1,121 £831

7.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,102 £2,299

$2,291 £1,698

35.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,181 £1,616

$1,582 £1,172

37.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,695 £4,962

$4,208 £3,119

59.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,621 £3,425

$3,345 £2,480

38.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,581 £2,654

$3,185 £2,360

12.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

5.32

5.83%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: July 26, 2026

Last update for Inverness: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,668 in Edinburgh versus $1,349 in Inverness. 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, 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 $103 in Edinburgh versus $99.0 in Inverness. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $294 – making Inverness 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 Inverness: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 12%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,104 per month in Edinburgh and $3,655 in Inverness. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Inverness, 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 $103 in Edinburgh and $99.0 in Inverness. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,736 in Edinburgh and $2,436 in Inverness. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Inverness, where all-in costs run around $2,436, than in Edinburgh at $2,736. In Inverness it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Inverness – 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 Inverness. 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.