Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Leeds

For one person, living is cheaper in Leeds: $2,227 a month against $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Leeds
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Leeds Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

Leeds

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,227

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Leeds

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

A single person spends $2,645 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,227 in Leeds, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,645
Leeds $2,227

A couple spends around $4,021 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,308 in Leeds, rent included.

Edinburgh $4,021
Leeds $3,308

A family of three spends $5,397 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,389 in Leeds, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,397
Leeds $4,389

Edinburgh costs about 19% more than Leeds, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Edinburgh and Leeds sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 94%, Leeds by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.35 £18.19

$20.04 £14.97

21.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 £78.7

$78.5 £58.7

34.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 £7.82

$9.35 £6.99

11.98%

Cappuccino

$5.02 £3.75

$5.04 £3.76

-0.40%

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

$2.41 £1.80

$3.68 £2.75

-34.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 £1.64

$2.68 £2.00

-18.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 £6.00

$7.46 £5.57

7.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 £5.91

$8.51 £6.36

-7.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 £1.31

$1.63 £1.22

7.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 £1.74

$1.51 £1.13

54.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 £1.75

$2.84 £2.12

-17.25%

Eggs

$5.13 £3.83

$4.12 £3.07

24.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 £6.76

$10.84 £8.10

-16.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 £6.92

$9.01 £6.73

2.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 £12.08

$15.99 £11.95

1.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.28

$3.18 £2.37

-4.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.95 £1.45

-4.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$2.79 £2.08

20.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 £2.80

$3.49 £2.61

7.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.53

$1.68 £1.25

22.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.67 £1.25

-8.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 £1.00

$1.35 £1.01

-1.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.41

$1.62 £1.21

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.87 £17.83

$20.04 £14.97

19.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 £8.19

$10.72 £8.01

2.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 £2.36

$2.83 £2.11

11.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.40

$2.95 £2.21

9.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 £2.34

$3.43 £2.56

-8.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 £74.6

$123 £92.1

-19.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.07

$3.23 £2.41

68.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 £1.42

$2.08 £1.55

-8.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 £21.29

$18.08 £13.51

57.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 £1.54

$2.05 £1.53

0.49%

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

$38.2K £28.6K

$38.7K £28.9K

-1.26%

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

$39.7K £29.7K

$40.9K £30.6K

-2.94%

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

$329 £246

$241 £180

36.46%

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

$16.81 £12.56

$16.77 £12.53

0.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.13 £32.22

$40.57 £30.31

6.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 £31.26

$36.86 £27.54

13.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.33 £17.43

$24.28 £18.14

-3.91%

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 £10.96

$13.89 £10.38

5.62%

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

$1,901 £1,420

$1,907 £1,425

-0.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K £19.3K

$22.1K £16.5K

16.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 £61.4

$89.5 £66.8

-8.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 £37.36

$46.78 £34.95

6.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £79.0

$88.5 £66.1

19.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £86.1

$88.5 £66.1

30.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 £1,263

$1,248 £932

35.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 £900

$928 £694

29.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,959 £2,211

$2,140 £1,599

38.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,184 £1,632

$1,519 £1,135

43.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,388 £4,772

$3,906 £2,918

63.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 £3,372

$3,268 £2,442

38.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,632 £2,713

$3,278 £2,449

10.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

4.99

-4.41%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Last update for Leeds: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6%

Leeds

$928 41.7% 23% $277

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$389 14.7%

Leeds

$299 13.4% 23.3% $91

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$361 13.6%

Leeds

$329 14.8% 8.9% $32

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.6%

Leeds

$316 14.2% 5.1% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$159 6%

Leeds

$141 6.3% 11.3% $18

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$127 4.8%

Leeds

$151 6.8% 18.3% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$71 2.7%

Leeds

$65 2.9% 9.2% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,691 in Edinburgh versus $1,248 in Leeds. 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 11% 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 $105 in Edinburgh versus $79 in Leeds. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $316 – making Leeds the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Leeds

🕒 Local time

10:18 10:18 AM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

766,399

💱 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

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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 Leeds: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,968 per month in Edinburgh and $3,341 in Leeds. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Leeds, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,248 there versus $1,691 in Edinburgh.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Edinburgh and $79 in Leeds. 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 $2,227 in Leeds. That makes Leeds about 16% cheaper.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,645 in Edinburgh and $2,227 in Leeds. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Leeds costs $2,227 versus $2,645 in Edinburgh. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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