Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Lewes

For one person, living is cheaper in Lewes: $2,380 a month against $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
Learn more

Edinburgh Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Lewes
Learn more

Lewes Living Index

Jump to prices

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,601

/mo nomad

Lewes

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,380

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Lewes

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

A single person spends $2,601 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,380 in Lewes, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,601
Lewes $2,380

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,503 in Lewes, rent included.

Edinburgh $3,985
Lewes $3,503

A family of three spends $5,369 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,625 in Lewes, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,369
Lewes $4,625

Edinburgh costs about 9% more than Lewes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Edinburgh and Lewes sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 92%, Lewes by 76%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.67 £17.76

$25.36 £19.03

-6.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 £81.4

$92.9 £69.7

16.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £8.04

$9.92 £7.44

7.96%

Cappuccino

$5.25 £3.94

$4.85 £3.64

8.25%

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

$2.48 £1.86

$2.93 £2.20

-15.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 £1.63

$2.66 £2.00

-18.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.94 £5.96

$8.77 £6.58

-9.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.00 £6.00

$6.67 £5.00

19.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 £1.27

$1.41 £1.06

19.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 £1.77

$1.68 £1.26

39.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 £1.77

$2.18 £1.64

8.26%

Eggs

$4.96 £3.72

$3.75 £2.81

32.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 £6.91

$11.14 £8.36

-17.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 £7.00

$8.37 £6.28

11.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.79 £11.85

$12.44 £9.33

26.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 £2.26

$2.97 £2.23

1.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 £1.41

$1.46 £1.10

28.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 £2.57

$2.83 £2.13

20.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 £2.75

$3.22 £2.41

13.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 £1.51

$1.61 £1.21

24.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 £1.16

$1.39 £1.04

11.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 £0.99

$0.90 £0.68

46.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 £1.45

$1.52 £1.14

26.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.23 £17.43

$23.69 £17.77

-1.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 £8.40

$11.18 £8.39

0.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 £2.34

$2.28 £1.71

36.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.46

$3.09 £2.32

5.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 £2.35

$3.27 £2.45

-3.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.0 £72.8

$96.7 £72.6

0.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 £4.08

$5.10 £3.82

6.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 £1.37

$2.69 £2.01

-32.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.32 £21.25

$23.06 £17.30

22.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 £1.56

$2.00 £1.50

4.00%

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

$38.6K £28.9K

$39.1K £29.4K

-1.50%

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

$39.9K £29.9K

$40.9K £30.7K

-2.45%

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

$328 £246

$281 £211

16.94%

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

$16.47 £12.36

$16.80 £12.60

-1.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.32 £31.75

$44.72 £33.55

-5.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.41 £33.32

$46.00 £34.51

-3.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.05 £17.30

$13.08 £9.81

76.22%

Cinema Ticket

$14.39 £10.79

$13.40 £10.05

7.39%

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

$1,775 £1,331

$1,801 £1,351

-1.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K £19.2K

$29.8K £22.4K

-14.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 £60.9

$76.2 £57.1

6.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.04 £36.79

$45.00 £33.76

8.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £81.2

$102 £76.4

6.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £85.9

$88.3 £66.3

29.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 £1,200

$1,236 £927

29.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 £876

$1,039 £779

12.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,803 £2,103

$2,102 £1,577

33.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 £1,617

$1,656 £1,242

30.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,714 £5,037

$5,149 £3,863

30.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,715 £3,538

$3,947 £2,961

19.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,558 £2,669

$4,441 £3,332

-19.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

-4.60%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 17, 2026

Last update for Lewes: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.2K 44.9%

Lewes

$1K 43.7% 11% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$387 14.9%

Lewes

$342 14.4% 11.6% $45

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$359 13.8%

Lewes

$370 15.6% 3.3% $12

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$332 12.8%

Lewes

$288 12.1% 13.3% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$159 6.1%

Lewes

$140 5.9% 11.8% $19

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$124 4.8%

Lewes

$128 5.4% 3.4% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$73 2.8%

Lewes

$73 3.1% 0.5% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,600 in Edinburgh versus $1,236 in Lewes. 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 Lewes, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Edinburgh versus $93.0 in Lewes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $288 – making Lewes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Lewes

🕒 Local time

20:31 8:31 PM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

17,297

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Edinburgh Lewes 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Edinburgh
Lewes

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 Lewes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,902 per month in Edinburgh and $3,571 in Lewes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lewes, 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 $108 in Edinburgh and $93.0 in Lewes. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,601 in Edinburgh and $2,380 in Lewes. That's a gap of about 9%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Lewes, where all-in costs run around $2,380, than in Edinburgh at $2,601. In Lewes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lewes – 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 Lewes. 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.