Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Liverpool Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Liverpool

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,704 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,107 in Liverpool, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,119 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,175 in Liverpool, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,535 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,243 in Liverpool, rent included.

Edinburgh costs about 28% more than Liverpool, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Edinburgh and Liverpool sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 102%, Liverpool by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.53 £15.21

$21.32 £15.80

-3.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 £76.9

$96.2 £71.3

7.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 £7.35

$9.35 £6.93

6.10%

Cappuccino

$5.32 £3.94

$4.62 £3.43

15.15%

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

$2.59 £1.92

$2.22 £1.64

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 £1.48

$1.50 £1.11

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.45 £5.52

$6.64 £4.92

12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 £5.15

$6.06 £4.49

14.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.71 £1.27

-3.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.58 £1.17

5.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 £1.55

$2.16 £1.60

-3.24%

Eggs

$4.34 £3.22

$3.90 £2.89

11.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 £8.84

$8.25 £6.11

44.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.21 £7.57

$9.01 £6.68

13.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.53 £13.73

$15.39 £11.40

20.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 £2.43

$2.83 £2.09

15.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 £1.16

$1.58 £1.17

-1.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 £3.12

$2.58 £1.92

63.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 £3.54

$3.56 £2.64

34.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 £1.29

$1.85 £1.37

-5.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 £1.11

$1.80 £1.34

-16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 £0.87

$1.22 £0.91

-3.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 £0.97

$1.27 £0.94

2.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.45 £15.15

$20.33 £15.06

0.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 £7.94

$10.80 £8.00

-0.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 £1.94

$3.13 £2.32

-16.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 £2.50

$2.76 £2.04

22.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 £2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.9 £65.1

$96.8 £71.8

-9.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 £4.06

$4.17 £3.09

31.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.04 £2.25

$1.36 £1.01

123.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.23 £31.29

$15.98 £11.84

164.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.88 £1.40

-0.53%

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

$37.8K £28.0K

$39.0K £28.9K

-3.13%

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

$39.8K £29.5K

$37.9K £28.1K

4.99%

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

$383 £284

$286 £212

34.13%

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

$17.20 £12.74

$18.22 £13.50

-5.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.72 £33.14

$41.86 £31.02

6.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 £39.66

$37.34 £27.67

43.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.76 £18.34

$16.72 £12.39

48.09%

Cinema Ticket

$14.74 £10.93

$17.69 £13.11

-16.68%

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

$1,892 £1,402

$1,654 £1,226

14.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K £17.4K

$16.3K £12.1K

44.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £88.1

$88.2 £65.3

34.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 £40.14

$51.4 £38.08

5.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 £85.4

$128 £94.9

-10.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 £93.3

$132 £98.0

-4.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 £1,223

$1,217 £902

35.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 £898

$780 £578

55.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,071 £2,276

$2,428 £1,799

26.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,188 £1,621

$1,305 £967

67.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,829 £5,060

$3,907 £2,895

74.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,906 £3,635

$2,608 £1,933

88.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,585 £2,657

$3,198 £2,369

12.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

5.76

-2.26%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: April 27, 2026

Last update for Liverpool: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,651 in Edinburgh versus $1,217 in Liverpool. 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 12% 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 $104 in Edinburgh versus $96.0 in Liverpool. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $338 vs $297 – making Liverpool 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 Liverpool: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 28%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,055 per month in Edinburgh and $3,161 in Liverpool. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Liverpool, 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 $104 in Edinburgh and $96.0 in Liverpool. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,704 in Edinburgh and $2,107 in Liverpool. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Liverpool, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Edinburgh at $2,704. In Liverpool it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Liverpool – 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 Liverpool. 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.