Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Lerwick Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Lerwick

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,718 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,275 in Lerwick, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,120 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,421 in Lerwick, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,521 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,566 in Lerwick, rent included.

Edinburgh costs about 19% more than Lerwick, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Edinburgh and Lerwick sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 102%, Lerwick by 69%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.99 £14.78

$20.71 £15.30

-3.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 £75.9

$81.9 £60.6

25.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 £7.29

$10.08 £7.45

-2.08%

Cappuccino

$5.33 £3.94

$4.78 £3.53

11.51%

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

$2.52 £1.86

$2.35 £1.74

7.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 £1.45

$1.66 £1.23

18.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.33 £5.42

$6.07 £4.49

20.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 £4.92

$6.24 £4.61

6.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 £1.20

$1.65 £1.22

-1.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 £1.28

$1.66 £1.23

4.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 £1.53

$2.18 £1.61

-5.05%

Eggs

$4.41 £3.26

$3.84 £2.84

14.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.78 £8.70

$9.72 £7.18

21.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.59 £7.83

$8.73 £6.45

21.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.60 £13.75

$14.32 £10.59

29.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 £2.33

$3.07 £2.27

2.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 £1.14

$1.62 £1.20

-4.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 £3.06

$2.94 £2.17

41.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 £3.52

$3.44 £2.54

38.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 £1.30

$1.62 £1.20

8.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 £1.06

$1.54 £1.14

-6.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 £0.89

$1.06 £0.78

13.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 £0.98

$1.47 £1.09

-9.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.25 £14.96

$18.92 £13.98

7.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 £7.90

$10.71 £7.91

-0.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 £1.95

$2.81 £2.07

-6.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.42

$3.20 £2.36

2.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 £1.95

$3.46 £2.56

-23.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.3 £65.3

$88.2 £65.2

0.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 £3.99

$5.48 £4.05

-1.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 £2.27

$1.58 £1.17

94.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.53 £32.17

$22.97 £16.97

89.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.96 £1.45

-4.59%

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

$37.7K £27.8K

$37.9K £28.0K

-0.51%

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

$39.6K £29.2K

$41.3K £30.5K

-4.21%

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

$378 £280

$301 £222

25.90%

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

$17.18 £12.69

$17.12 £12.65

0.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.60 £32.22

$43.41 £32.08

0.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 £40.11

$46.43 £34.31

16.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.78 £18.31

Cinema Ticket

$14.99 £11.08

$13.47 £9.96

11.28%

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

$1,888 £1,395

$1,600 £1,182

18.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K £17.5K

$18.3K £13.5K

29.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 £86.6

$82.4 £60.9

42.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 £40.80

$44.29 £32.73

24.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 £85.3

$91.4 £67.5

26.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 £91.9

$97.2 £71.8

28.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,666 £1,231

$1,206 £891

38.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 £917

$986 £729

25.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,075 £2,272

$2,062 £1,524

49.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 £1,613

$1,673 £1,236

30.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,772 £5,004

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,908 £3,627

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,670 £2,712

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

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

Last update for Edinburgh: April 12, 2026

Last update for Lerwick: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,666 in Edinburgh versus $1,206 in Lerwick. 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 $103 in Edinburgh versus $82 in Lerwick. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $339 vs $299 – making Lerwick 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 Lerwick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 19%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,078 per month in Edinburgh and $3,413 in Lerwick. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lerwick, 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 $82.0 in Lerwick. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,718 in Edinburgh and $2,275 in Lerwick. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Lerwick, where all-in costs run around $2,275, than in Edinburgh at $2,718. In Lerwick it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lerwick – 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 Lerwick. 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.