Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Lincoln

For one person, living is cheaper in Lincoln: $2,203 a month against $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lincoln
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Lincoln Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,601

/mo nomad

Lincoln

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,203

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Lincoln

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

A single person spends $2,601 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,203 in Lincoln, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,601
Lincoln $2,203

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,290 in Lincoln, rent included.

Edinburgh $3,985
Lincoln $3,290

A family of three spends $5,369 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,376 in Lincoln, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,369
Lincoln $4,376

Edinburgh costs about 18% more than Lincoln, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Edinburgh and Lincoln sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 92%, Lincoln by 63%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.67 £17.76

$26.70 £20.03

-11.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 £81.4

$85.8 £64.4

26.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £8.04

$8.14 £6.11

31.57%

Cappuccino

$5.25 £3.94

$4.98 £3.74

5.42%

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

$2.48 £1.86

$2.64 £1.98

-6.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 £1.63

$1.97 £1.48

10.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.94 £5.96

$6.70 £5.03

18.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.00 £6.00

$6.58 £4.94

21.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 £1.27

$1.40 £1.05

20.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 £1.77

$1.49 £1.12

57.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 £1.77

$1.34 £1.01

76.12%

Eggs

$4.96 £3.72

$3.36 £2.52

47.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 £6.91

$8.31 £6.23

10.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 £7.00

$8.59 £6.44

8.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.79 £11.85

$11.39 £8.54

38.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 £2.26

$3.48 £2.61

-13.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 £1.41

$1.20 £0.90

56.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 £2.57

$3.11 £2.33

9.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 £2.75

$3.65 £2.74

0.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 £1.51

$1.47 £1.10

36.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 £1.16

$1.16 £0.87

33.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 £0.99

$1.04 £0.78

26.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 £1.45

$1.35 £1.02

42.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.23 £17.43

$23.57 £17.68

-1.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 £8.40

$10.50 £7.88

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 £2.34

$3.18 £2.39

-1.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.46

$3.59 £2.69

-8.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 £2.35

$4.15 £3.12

-24.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.0 £72.8

$107 £80.3

-9.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 £4.08

$3.88 £2.91

39.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 £1.37

$0.71 £0.54

156.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.32 £21.25

$19.84 £14.89

42.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 £1.56

$2.06 £1.54

0.97%

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

$38.6K £28.9K

-0.02%

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

$39.9K £29.9K

$40.4K £30.3K

-1.21%

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

$328 £246

$304 £228

7.99%

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

$16.47 £12.36

$17.07 £12.81

-3.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.32 £31.75

$40.02 £30.02

5.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.41 £33.32

$26.70 £20.03

66.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.05 £17.30

$21.35 £16.01

7.96%

Cinema Ticket

$14.39 £10.79

$15.55 £11.66

-7.46%

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

$1,775 £1,331

$1,831 £1,373

-3.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K £19.2K

$20.6K £15.5K

24.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 £60.9

$115 £85.9

-29.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.04 £36.79

$58.6 £43.98

-16.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £81.2

$84.9 £63.7

27.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £85.9

$99.3 £74.5

15.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 £1,200

$1,078 £809

48.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 £876

$854 £640

36.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,803 £2,103

$1,936 £1,453

44.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 £1,617

$1,426 £1,070

51.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,714 £5,037

$2,503 £1,878

168.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,715 £3,538

$1,220 £916

286.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,558 £2,669

$3,307 £2,481

7.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

4.88

-2.25%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 17, 2026

Last update for Lincoln: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.2K 44.9%

Lincoln

$854 38.7% 26.9% $314

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$387 14.9%

Lincoln

$361 16.4% 6.7% $26

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$359 13.8%

Lincoln

$363 16.5% 1.2% $4.1

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$332 12.8%

Lincoln

$276 12.5% 16.7% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$159 6.1%

Lincoln

$161 7.3% 1.2% $1.9

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$124 4.8%

Lincoln

$131 6% 5.6% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$73 2.8%

Lincoln

$58 2.6% 21% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,600 in Edinburgh versus $1,078 in Lincoln. 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 8% 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 $108 in Edinburgh versus $86.0 in Lincoln. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $276 – making Lincoln the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Lincoln

🕒 Local time

04:06 4:06 AM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

97,541

💱 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

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Edinburgh
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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 Lincoln: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 18%, 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 $3,305 in Lincoln. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lincoln, 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 $86.0 in Lincoln. 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 $2,203 in Lincoln. That's a gap of about 18%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lincoln, where all-in costs run around $2,203, than in Edinburgh at $2,601. In Lincoln it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lincoln – 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 Lincoln. 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.