Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Kingston upon Thames

For one person, living is cheaper in Edinburgh: $2,724 a month against $3,270 in Kingston upon Thames, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index
158

Cost of Living Index in Kingston upon Thames
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Kingston upon Thames Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,724

/mo nomad

Kingston upon Thames

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$3,270

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Kingston upon Thames

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 Kingston upon Thames actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,724 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,270 in Kingston upon Thames, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,724
Kingston upon Thames $3,270

A couple spends around $4,109 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,792 in Kingston upon Thames, rent included.

Edinburgh $4,109
Kingston upon Thames $4,792

A family of three spends $5,494 per month in Edinburgh vs $6,314 in Kingston upon Thames, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,494
Kingston upon Thames $6,314

Edinburgh is about 17% cheaper than Kingston upon Thames, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Edinburgh and Kingston upon Thames sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 101%, Kingston upon Thames by 142%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.24 £18.02

$22.30 £16.57

8.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 £80.4

$87.0 £64.7

24.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.67 £7.93

$10.76 £7.99

-0.84%

Cappuccino

$5.10 £3.79

$5.47 £4.07

-6.76%

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

$2.48 £1.85

$3.12 £2.32

-20.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 £1.66

$1.83 £1.36

22.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 £5.81

$9.30 £6.91

-15.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 £6.05

$8.06 £5.99

0.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.66 £1.23

4.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 £1.73

$1.76 £1.30

31.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 £1.74

$2.57 £1.91

-8.95%

Eggs

$4.90 £3.64

$5.21 £3.87

-5.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 £6.96

$8.74 £6.49

7.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 £7.15

$8.96 £6.66

7.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.82 £11.75

$12.98 £9.65

21.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.30

$3.16 £2.35

-2.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.37 £1.02

39.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 £2.43

$2.51 £1.87

30.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 £2.66

$2.93 £2.18

21.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 £1.48

$1.69 £1.26

17.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.71 £1.27

-8.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 £0.96

$1.27 £0.95

1.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 £1.44

$1.83 £1.36

5.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.15 £17.95

$23.75 £17.65

1.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 £8.04

$9.23 £6.86

17.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 £2.36

$3.11 £2.31

2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.43

$4.35 £3.23

-24.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 £2.44

$2.42 £1.80

35.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 £74.9

$83.4 £62.0

20.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 £3.93

$5.82 £4.32

-9.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 £1.80

$3.38 £2.51

-28.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.91 £34.86

$58.5 £43.49

-19.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 £1.64

$2.12 £1.57

4.25%

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

$38.5K £28.6K

$38.3K £28.5K

0.55%

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

$40.5K £30.1K

$41.4K £30.7K

-2.12%

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

$335 £249

$375 £278

-10.63%

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

$16.31 £12.12

$16.22 £12.05

0.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.88 £30.38

$41.82 £31.08

-2.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.45 £31.55

$106 £78.7

-59.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.02 £17.85

$10.62 £7.89

126.18%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 £11.16

$19.79 £14.71

-24.10%

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

$1,869 £1,389

$2,682 £1,993

-30.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K £19.3K

$35.1K £26.1K

-25.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.9 £62.3

$119 £88.7

-29.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.78 £35.51

$52.7 £39.16

-9.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.5

$81.7 £60.7

32.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 £88.5

$106 £79.0

12.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 £1,243

$2,187 £1,625

-23.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,273 £946

$1,754 £1,303

-27.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,012 £2,238

$3,651 £2,713

-17.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,247 £1,670

$3,116 £2,316

-27.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,479 £4,815

$10.5K £7,816

-38.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,429 £3,291

$7,194 £5,346

-38.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,796 £2,821

$4,740 £3,523

-19.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

4.78

-0.21%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 31, 2026

Last update for Kingston upon Thames: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.3K 46.7%

Kingston upon Thames

$1.8K 53.6% 37.8% $481

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$392 14.4%

Kingston upon Thames

$433 13.2% 10.4% $41

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$361 13.3%

Kingston upon Thames

$359 11% 0.7% $2.5

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.2%

Kingston upon Thames

$302 9.2% 9.2% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$162 5.9%

Kingston upon Thames

$162 5% 0.3% $0.5

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$131 4.8%

Kingston upon Thames

$116 3.5% 11.8% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$72 2.7%

Kingston upon Thames

$145 4.5% 101% $73

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,673 in Edinburgh versus $2,187 in Kingston upon Thames. 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 25% higher in Kingston upon Thames. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Edinburgh versus $87 in Kingston upon Thames. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $302 – making Kingston upon Thames the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Kingston upon Thames

🕒 Local time

06:58 6:58 AM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

43,013

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.35 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.35 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Edinburgh Kingston upon Thames 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Edinburgh
Kingston upon Thames

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 Kingston upon Thames: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kingston upon Thames is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,086 per month in Edinburgh and $4,906 in Kingston upon Thames. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Edinburgh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,673 there versus $2,187 in Kingston upon Thames.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Edinburgh and $87 in Kingston upon Thames. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,724 in Edinburgh and $3,270 in Kingston upon Thames. That makes Edinburgh about 17% cheaper.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,724 in Edinburgh and $3,270 in Kingston upon Thames. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Edinburgh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Edinburgh. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kingston upon Thames makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.