Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Lambeth

For one person, living is cheaper in Lambeth: $2,463 a month against $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,601
/mo nomad
Lambeth
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,463
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Lambeth

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

A single person spends $2,601 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,463 in Lambeth, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $2,601
  • Lambeth $2,463

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,680 in Lambeth, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $3,985
  • Lambeth $3,680

A family of three spends $5,369 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,897 in Lambeth, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $5,369
  • Lambeth $4,897

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

Both Edinburgh and Lambeth sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 92%, Lambeth by 82%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Edinburgh
Lambeth
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.67 £17.76
$23.90 £17.93
-0.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$108 £81.4
$80.4 £60.3
34.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 £8.04
$13.53 £10.15
-20.84%
Cappuccino
$5.25 £3.94
$4.79 £3.59
9.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 £1.86
$2.56 £1.92
-3.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 £1.63
$2.39 £1.79
-9.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.94 £5.96
$6.64 £4.98
19.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.00 £6.00
$6.04 £4.53
32.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
Lambeth
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 £1.27
$1.75 £1.32
-3.43%
White Bread (500g)
$2.35 £1.77
$1.92 £1.44
22.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.36 £1.77
$2.15 £1.61
9.77%
Eggs
$4.96 £3.72
$4.29 £3.22
15.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.20 £6.91
$8.98 £6.74
2.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.33 £7.00
$10.33 £7.75
-9.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.79 £11.85
$20.21 £15.16
-21.87%
Apples (1kg)
$3.01 £2.26
$4.44 £3.33
-32.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.88 £1.41
$1.49 £1.12
26.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.42 £2.57
$1.97 £1.48
73.60%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.67 £2.75
$3.38 £2.54
8.58%
Potato (1kg)
$2.01 £1.51
$1.53 £1.15
31.37%
Onion (1kg)
$1.55 £1.16
$1.93 £1.44
-19.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.32 £0.99
$1.52 £1.14
-13.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 £1.45
$1.48 £1.11
30.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.23 £17.43
$23.18 £17.39
0.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.20 £8.40
$11.11 £8.34
0.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.12 £2.34
$3.17 £2.38
-1.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27 £2.46
$3.00 £2.25
9.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Edinburgh
Lambeth
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 £2.35
$3.81 £2.86
-17.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$97.0 £72.8
$106 £79.9
-8.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.43 £4.08
$5.03 £3.78
7.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.82 £1.37
$2.08 £1.56
-12.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.32 £21.25
$23.77 £17.83
19.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.08 £1.56
$2.07 £1.55
0.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.6K £28.9K
$38.7K £29.0K
-0.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.9K £29.9K
$40.3K £30.2K
-1.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
Lambeth
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$328 £246
$389 £292
-15.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.47 £12.36
$23.79 £17.85
-30.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.32 £31.75
$49.63 £37.23
-14.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
Lambeth
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.41 £33.32
$40.78 £30.60
8.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.05 £17.30
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.39 £10.79
$18.01 £13.51
-20.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Edinburgh
Lambeth
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,775 £1,331
$1,356 £1,017
30.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K £19.2K
$23.9K £17.9K
6.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
Lambeth
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$81.2 £60.9
$66.3 £49.76
22.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.04 £36.79
$45.95 £34.47
6.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 £81.2
$74.0 £55.5
46.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 £85.9
$79.2 £59.4
44.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
Lambeth
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,600 £1,200
$1,186 £890
34.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,168 £876
$979 £735
19.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,803 £2,103
$1,826 £1,370
53.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,155 £1,617
$1,814 £1,361
18.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,714 £5,037
$4,320 £3,241
55.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,715 £3,538
$3,310 £2,483
42.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Edinburgh
Lambeth
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,558 £2,669
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
5.54
-13.90%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 17, 2026

Last update for Lambeth: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
$1.2K
Lambeth
$979 16.1% $188
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
$387
Lambeth
$462 19.4% $75
Eating Out
Edinburgh
$359
Lambeth
$354 1.2% $4.4
Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
$332
Lambeth
$334 0.6% $2.1
Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
$159
Lambeth
$119 24.8% $39
Getting Around
Edinburgh
$124
Lambeth
$137 10.5% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
$73
Lambeth
$77 4.9% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,600 in Edinburgh versus $1,186 in Lambeth. 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 $108 in Edinburgh versus $80.0 in Lambeth. Groceries tell a different story – $332 in Edinburgh vs $334 in Lambeth – so Edinburgh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🇬🇧 Lambeth
🕒 Local time
20:31 8:31 PM
20:31 8:31 PM
Same time as Edinburgh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
488,050
6,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Edinburgh Lambeth 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Edinburgh
  • Lambeth

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 Lambeth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lambeth cheaper than Edinburgh?
Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,902 per month in Edinburgh and $3,695 in Lambeth. 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 Lambeth, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Edinburgh or in Lambeth?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Edinburgh and $80.0 in Lambeth. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Edinburgh and in Lambeth?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,601 in Edinburgh and $2,463 in Lambeth. That's a gap of about 6%.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Edinburgh or in Lambeth?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Lambeth, where all-in costs run around $2,463, than in Edinburgh at $2,601. In Lambeth it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Edinburgh or Lambeth more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Lambeth – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Edinburgh or Lambeth?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Lambeth. 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.

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