Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Isle of Islay Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Isle of Islay

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,691 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,411 in Isle of Islay, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,039 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,495 in Isle of Islay, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,386 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,579 in Isle of Islay, rent included.

Edinburgh costs about 12% more than Isle of Islay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Edinburgh and Isle of Islay sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 96%, Isle of Islay by 75%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.27 £17.95

$21.94 £16.23

10.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 £81.0

$82.6 £61.1

32.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 £8.07

$10.76 £7.96

1.39%

Cappuccino

$5.18 £3.83

$4.51 £3.33

14.86%

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

$2.53 £1.87

$2.54 £1.88

-0.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 £1.60

$1.36 £1.00

59.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.19 £6.06

$5.97 £4.42

37.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.12 £6.01

$6.23 £4.61

30.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 £1.30

$2.10 £1.55

-16.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 £1.72

$1.75 £1.30

33.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 £1.72

$2.91 £2.15

-19.93%

Eggs

$5.09 £3.76

$5.64 £4.17

-9.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.30 £6.88

$7.55 £5.59

23.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 £7.06

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.99 £11.83

$15.42 £11.41

3.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 £2.22

$2.42 £1.79

24.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 £1.33

$2.28 £1.69

-21.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 £2.56

$2.97 £2.20

16.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 £2.61

$2.80 £2.07

26.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 £1.62

$3.21 £2.37

-31.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 £1.12

$2.15 £1.59

-29.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 £0.94

$1.90 £1.41

-33.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 £1.41

$2.50 £1.85

-23.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.28 £17.96

$24.02 £17.77

1.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 £8.36

$12.34 £9.13

-8.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 £2.23

$3.40 £2.51

-11.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.35

$3.31 £2.45

-4.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 £2.18

$3.61 £2.67

-18.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 £74.6

$97.2 £71.9

3.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.03

$4.72 £3.49

15.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 £1.44

$3.90 £2.89

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.94 £21.41

$27.28 £20.18

6.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 £1.52

$2.03 £1.50

0.99%

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

$39.3K £29.0K

$38.9K £28.7K

1.02%

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

$41.4K £30.6K

$41.5K £30.7K

-0.18%

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

$343 £254

$248 £184

38.12%

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

$17.03 £12.60

$13.38 £9.90

27.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.01 £31.82

$43.18 £31.95

-0.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.96 £35.48

$48.12 £35.60

-0.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.68 £17.52

Cinema Ticket

$15.04 £11.13

$13.37 £9.89

12.49%

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

$1,824 £1,350

$2,002 £1,481

-8.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.5K £18.8K

$22.3K £16.5K

14.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.8 £63.5

$102 £75.2

-15.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 £37.21

$58.1 £43.01

-13.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £79.6

$127 £94.0

-15.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 £87.6

$89.8 £66.4

31.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 £1,217

$1,237 £916

32.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 £909

$1,047 £775

17.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,844 £2,104

$2,125 £1,572

33.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,187 £1,618

$1,700 £1,258

28.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,732 £4,980

$5,306 £3,925

26.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,734 £3,502

$3,780 £2,797

25.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,581 £2,649

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.78

5.41

-11.65%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: September 1, 2026

Last update for Isle of Islay: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,644 in Edinburgh versus $1,237 in Isle of Islay. 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 $109 in Edinburgh versus $83.0 in Isle of Islay. Groceries tell a different story – $333 in Edinburgh vs $341 in Isle of Islay – so Edinburgh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Isle of Islay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 12%, 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 $4,037 per month in Edinburgh and $3,616 in Isle of Islay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Isle of Islay, 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 $109 in Edinburgh and $83.0 in Isle of Islay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,691 in Edinburgh and $2,411 in Isle of Islay. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Isle of Islay, where all-in costs run around $2,411, than in Edinburgh at $2,691. In Isle of Islay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Isle of Islay – 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 Isle of Islay. 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.