Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Lisburn

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisburn: $2,290 a month against $2,724 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Lisburn
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Lisburn Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,724

/mo nomad

Lisburn

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,290

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Lisburn

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

A single person spends $2,724 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,290 in Lisburn, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,724
Lisburn $2,290

A couple spends around $4,109 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,494 in Lisburn, rent included.

Edinburgh $4,109
Lisburn $3,494

A family of three spends $5,494 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,698 in Lisburn, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,494
Lisburn $4,698

Edinburgh costs about 19% more than Lisburn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Edinburgh and Lisburn sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 101%, Lisburn by 69%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.24 £18.02

$28.85 £21.44

-15.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 £80.4

$74.3 £55.3

45.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.67 £7.93

$14.28 £10.61

-25.28%

Cappuccino

$5.10 £3.79

$4.97 £3.69

2.62%

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

$2.48 £1.85

$1.97 £1.46

25.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 £1.66

$1.87 £1.39

19.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 £5.81

$7.14 £5.31

9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 £6.05

$6.11 £4.54

33.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.90 £1.41

-8.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 £1.73

$2.43 £1.81

-4.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 £1.74

$2.22 £1.65

5.41%

Eggs

$4.90 £3.65

$4.01 £2.98

22.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 £6.96

$9.25 £6.88

1.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 £7.15

$8.41 £6.25

14.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.82 £11.75

$14.70 £10.93

7.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.30

$2.95 £2.20

4.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.56 £1.16

22.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 £2.43

$2.87 £2.13

13.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 £2.66

$3.20 £2.38

11.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 £1.48

$1.73 £1.29

15.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.62 £1.20

-3.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 £0.96

$1.22 £0.91

5.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 £1.44

$1.53 £1.14

26.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.15 £17.95

$23.39 £17.39

3.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 £8.04

$10.88 £8.09

-0.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 £2.36

$2.92 £2.17

8.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.43

$3.29 £2.44

-0.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 £2.44

$4.04 £3.00

-18.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 £74.9

$98.1 £72.9

2.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 £3.93

$5.05 £3.75

4.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 £1.80

$2.26 £1.68

7.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.91 £34.86

$25.84 £19.21

81.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 £1.64

$2.04 £1.52

8.33%

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

$38.5K £28.6K

$39.1K £29.0K

-1.41%

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

$40.5K £30.1K

$39.8K £29.6K

1.73%

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

$335 £249

$304 £226

9.95%

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

$16.31 £12.12

$17.33 £12.88

-5.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.88 £30.38

$41.92 £31.15

-2.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.45 £31.55

$44.49 £33.07

-4.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.02 £17.86

$10.70 £7.95

124.49%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 £11.16

$13.67 £10.16

9.88%

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

$1,869 £1,389

$1,830 £1,360

2.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K £19.4K

$23.0K £17.1K

13.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.9 £62.3

$85.5 £63.6

-1.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.78 £35.51

$45.81 £34.05

4.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.5

$99.1 £73.6

9.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 £88.5

$97.0 £72.1

22.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 £1,243

$1,271 £944

31.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,273 £946

$872 £648

45.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,012 £2,238

$2,039 £1,516

47.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,247 £1,670

$1,672 £1,243

34.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,479 £4,815

$5,267 £3,915

23.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,429 £3,292

$3,962 £2,945

11.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,796 £2,821

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

5.11

-6.65%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 31, 2026

Last update for Lisburn: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.3K 46.7%

Lisburn

$872 38.1% 31.5% $401

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$392 14.4%

Lisburn

$364 15.9% 7.2% $28

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$361 13.3%

Lisburn

$397 17.3% 9.7% $35

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.2%

Lisburn

$308 13.5% 7.3% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$162 5.9%

Lisburn

$147 6.4% 8.8% $14

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$131 4.8%

Lisburn

$131 5.7% 0.5% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$72 2.7%

Lisburn

$72 3.1% 0.9% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,673 in Edinburgh versus $1,271 in Lisburn. 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 $108 in Edinburgh versus $74 in Lisburn. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $308 – making Lisburn the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Lisburn

🕒 Local time

20:13 8:13 PM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

71,403

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.35 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.35 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Lisburn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,086 per month in Edinburgh and $3,435 in Lisburn. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisburn, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,271 there versus $1,673 in Edinburgh.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Edinburgh and $74 in Lisburn. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,724 in Edinburgh and $2,290 in Lisburn. That makes Lisburn about 16% cheaper.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,724 in Edinburgh and $2,290 in Lisburn. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,290 in Lisburn to $2,724 in Edinburgh. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Lisburn is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 16% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.