Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Lewisham

For one person, living is cheaper in Edinburgh: $2,645 a month against $3,125 in Lewisham, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Lewisham, United Kingdom
Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,645
/mo nomad
Lewisham
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,125
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Lewisham

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

A single person spends $2,645 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,125 in Lewisham, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $2,645
  • Lewisham $3,125

A couple spends around $4,021 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,941 in Lewisham, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $4,021
  • Lewisham $4,941

A family of three spends $5,397 per month in Edinburgh vs $6,756 in Lewisham, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $5,397
  • Lewisham $6,756

Edinburgh is about 15% cheaper than Lewisham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Edinburgh and Lewisham sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 94%, Lewisham by 130%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Edinburgh
Lewisham
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.35 £18.32
$23.68 £17.82
2.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$105 £79.2
$79.0 £59.5
33.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.47 £7.88
$10.61 £7.99
-1.32%
Cappuccino
$5.02 £3.78
$4.82 £3.63
4.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41 £1.82
$2.05 £1.54
17.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 £1.65
$1.85 £1.39
18.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.04 £6.05
$6.60 £4.97
21.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.91 £5.95
$6.11 £4.60
29.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
Lewisham
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.75 £1.32
$1.68 £1.26
4.17%
White Bread (500g)
$2.33 £1.75
$1.90 £1.43
22.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.35 £1.77
$2.09 £1.58
12.44%
Eggs
$5.13 £3.86
$4.44 £3.34
15.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.05 £6.81
$6.85 £5.15
32.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.26 £6.97
$6.39 £4.81
44.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.17 £12.17
$11.87 £8.93
36.23%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 £2.29
$4.23 £3.18
-27.90%
Banana (1kg)
$1.87 £1.41
$1.44 £1.09
29.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.35 £2.52
$1.86 £1.40
80.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.75 £2.83
$3.39 £2.55
10.62%
Potato (1kg)
$2.05 £1.54
$1.31 £0.98
56.49%
Onion (1kg)
$1.53 £1.15
$1.85 £1.39
-17.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.33 £1.00
$0.75 £0.57
77.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 £1.42
$1.45 £1.09
30.34%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.87 £17.96
$24.04 £18.09
-0.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.96 £8.25
$11.43 £8.60
-4.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.16 £2.37
$2.34 £1.76
35.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 £2.42
$1.83 £1.38
75.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Edinburgh
Lewisham
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.13 £2.36
$2.98 £2.24
5.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$99.8 £75.1
$155 £117
-35.64%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 £4.10
$6.82 £5.13
-20.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.90 £1.43
$2.39 £1.80
-20.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.50 £21.45
$31.24 £23.51
-8.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.06 £1.55
$2.09 £1.57
-1.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.8K
$39.1K £29.5K
-2.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.7K £29.9K
$40.1K £30.2K
-0.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
Lewisham
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$329 £248
$395 £298
-16.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.81 £12.65
$23.63 £17.78
-28.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.13 £32.46
$42.51 £32.00
1.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
Lewisham
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.84 £31.49
$45.15 £33.98
-7.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.33 £17.56
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.67 £11.04
$16.42 £12.36
-10.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Edinburgh
Lewisham
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,901 £1,430
$792 £596
139.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.8K £19.4K
$23.2K £17.5K
11.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
Lewisham
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$82.2 £61.8
$157 £118
-47.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.0 £37.63
$67.9 £51.1
-26.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 £79.6
$136 £102
-22.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 £86.7
$127 £95.7
-9.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
Lewisham
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,691 £1,273
$2,235 £1,682
-24.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,205 £907
$1,570 £1,181
-23.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,959 £2,227
$2,085 £1,569
41.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,184 £1,644
$3,535 £2,661
-38.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,388 £4,807
$4,670 £3,514
36.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,514 £3,397
$4,447 £3,347
1.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Edinburgh
Lewisham
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,632 £2,733
$3,143 £2,365
15.57%
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 26, 2026

Last update for Lewisham: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
$1.2K
Lewisham
$1.6K 30.3% $365
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
$389
Lewisham
$462 18.6% $72
Eating Out
Edinburgh
$361
Lewisham
$340 5.8% $21
Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
$333
Lewisham
$270 18.7% $62
Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
$159
Lewisham
$220 38.2% $61
Getting Around
Edinburgh
$127
Lewisham
$186 45.9% $58
Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
$71
Lewisham
$78 9.6% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,691 in Edinburgh versus $2,235 in Lewisham. 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 16% higher in Edinburgh, 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 $105 in Edinburgh versus $79 in Lewisham. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $270 – making Lewisham the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🇬🇧 Lewisham
🕒 Local time
21:19 9:19 PM
21:19 9:19 PM
Same time as Edinburgh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
488,050
96,224
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.753 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.838 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

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

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 Lewisham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Edinburgh cheaper than Lewisham?
Yes – Lewisham is pricier by about 18%, 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 $3,968 per month in Edinburgh and $4,688 in Lewisham. 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 Edinburgh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,691 there versus $2,235 in Lewisham.
Is eating out cheaper in Edinburgh or in Lewisham?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Edinburgh and $79 in Lewisham. 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 Lewisham?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,645 in Edinburgh and $3,125 in Lewisham. That makes Edinburgh about 15% cheaper.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Edinburgh or in Lewisham?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,645 in Edinburgh and $3,125 in Lewisham. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Edinburgh or in Lewisham?
It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,645 in Edinburgh to $3,125 in Lewisham. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Edinburgh vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?