Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Edinburgh: $2,645 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index
195

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,086

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in London

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

A single person spends $2,645 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,086 in London, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,645
London $4,086

A couple spends around $4,021 per month in Edinburgh vs $5,891 in London, rent included.

Edinburgh $4,021
London $5,891

A family of three spends $5,397 per month in Edinburgh vs $7,696 in London, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,397
London $7,696

Edinburgh is about 35% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Edinburgh and London sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 94%, London by 200%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.35 £18.18

$26.55 £19.82

-8.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 £78.6

$107 £79.9

-1.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 £7.81

$10.78 £8.05

-2.88%

Cappuccino

$5.02 £3.75

$5.71 £4.27

-12.08%

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

$2.41 £1.80

$3.01 £2.25

-19.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 £1.64

$2.29 £1.71

-4.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 £6.00

$9.08 £6.78

-11.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 £5.91

$8.07 £6.02

-1.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 £1.31

$1.90 £1.42

-7.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 £1.74

$2.03 £1.51

14.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 £1.75

$2.45 £1.83

-4.08%

Eggs

$5.13 £3.83

$5.07 £3.79

1.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 £6.76

$12.71 £9.49

-28.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 £6.92

$10.61 £7.92

-12.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 £12.08

$17.68 £13.20

-8.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.28

$3.17 £2.37

-3.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.45 £1.08

28.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$3.13 £2.34

7.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 £2.80

$3.41 £2.55

9.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.53

$1.67 £1.25

22.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.77 £1.32

-13.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 £1.00

$1.43 £1.07

-6.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.41

$1.87 £1.39

1.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.87 £17.82

$23.91 £17.85

-0.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 £8.18

$13.48 £10.06

-18.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 £2.36

$3.08 £2.30

2.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.40

$4.39 £3.28

-26.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 £2.34

$4.08 £3.04

-23.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 £74.5

$252 £188

-60.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.07

$5.74 £4.29

-5.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 £1.42

$3.35 £2.50

-43.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 £21.28

$57.2 £42.73

-50.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 £1.54

$2.08 £1.56

-0.96%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$38.0K £28.4K

0.64%

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

$39.7K £29.7K

$40.4K £30.2K

-1.70%

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

$329 £246

$387 £289

-14.92%

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

$16.81 £12.55

$18.57 £13.87

-9.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.13 £32.20

$40.69 £30.38

6.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 £31.24

$57.6 £42.99

-27.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.33 £17.42

$19.75 £14.75

18.13%

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 £10.95

$18.33 £13.68

-19.97%

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

$1,901 £1,419

$2,957 £2,208

-35.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K £19.2K

$35.9K £26.8K

-28.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 £61.4

$119 £88.7

-30.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 £37.34

$56.3 £42.01

-11.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £78.9

$131 £97.7

-19.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £86.0

$165 £123

-30.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 £1,263

$2,811 £2,099

-39.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 £900

$2,291 £1,711

-47.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,959 £2,209

$5,185 £3,871

-42.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,184 £1,631

$3,805 £2,841

-42.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,388 £4,769

$17.7K £13.2K

-63.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 £3,370

$8,405 £6,275

-46.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,632 £2,712

$5,070 £3,786

-28.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

4.79

-0.42%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6%

London

$2.3K 56.1% 90.1% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$389 14.7%

London

$446 10.9% 14.7% $57

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$361 13.6%

London

$396 9.7% 9.8% $35

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.6%

London

$356 8.7% 6.9% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$159 6%

London

$212 5.2% 33.3% $53

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$127 4.8%

London

$291 7.1% 129% $164

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$71 2.7%

London

$94 2.3% 32.4% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,691 in Edinburgh versus $2,811 in London. 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 40% higher in London, 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 $105 in Edinburgh versus $107 in London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $356 – making Edinburgh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 London

🕒 Local time

18:50 6:50 PM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

8,908,083 Capital

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Edinburgh London 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Edinburgh
London

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 London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – London is pricier by about 54%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,968 per month in Edinburgh and $6,129 in London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Edinburgh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,691 there versus $2,811 in London.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,645 in Edinburgh and $4,086 in London. That makes Edinburgh about 35% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,901 per month in Edinburgh and $2,957 in London. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,645 in Edinburgh and $4,086 in London. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Edinburgh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Edinburgh. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.