Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Lowestoft

For one person, living costs are similar in Edinburgh and in Lowestoft: $2,645 and $2,625 a month, rent and utilities included.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Lowestoft, United Kingdom
Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,645
/mo nomad
Lowestoft
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,625
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Lowestoft

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

A single person spends $2,645 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,625 in Lowestoft, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $2,645
  • Lowestoft $2,625

A couple spends around $4,021 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,865 in Lowestoft, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $4,021
  • Lowestoft $3,865

A family of three spends $5,397 per month in Edinburgh vs $5,105 in Lowestoft, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $5,397
  • Lowestoft $5,105

Edinburgh costs about 1% more than Lowestoft.

Both Edinburgh and Lowestoft sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 94%, Lowestoft by 93%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Edinburgh
Lowestoft
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.35 £18.32
$27.13 £20.42
-10.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$105 £79.2
$105 £79.3
-0.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.47 £7.88
$10.71 £8.06
-2.24%
Cappuccino
$5.02 £3.78
$5.54 £4.17
-9.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41 £1.82
$2.92 £2.19
-17.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 £1.65
$2.14 £1.61
2.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.04 £6.05
$6.31 £4.75
27.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.91 £5.95
$7.97 £6.00
-0.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
Lowestoft
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.75 £1.32
$1.92 £1.44
-8.85%
White Bread (500g)
$2.33 £1.75
$2.00 £1.51
16.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.35 £1.77
$2.47 £1.86
-4.86%
Eggs
$5.13 £3.86
$4.95 £3.73
3.64%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.05 £6.81
$12.60 £9.49
-28.17%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.26 £6.97
$10.54 £7.93
-12.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.17 £12.17
$17.21 £12.95
-6.04%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 £2.29
$3.14 £2.36
-2.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.87 £1.41
$1.38 £1.04
35.51%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.35 £2.52
$3.14 £2.36
6.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.75 £2.83
$3.43 £2.58
9.33%
Potato (1kg)
$2.05 £1.54
$1.68 £1.27
22.02%
Onion (1kg)
$1.53 £1.15
$1.72 £1.30
-11.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.33 £1.00
$1.48 £1.11
-10.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 £1.42
$1.80 £1.36
5.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.87 £17.96
$23.71 £17.85
0.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.96 £8.25
$13.22 £9.95
-17.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.16 £2.37
$3.19 £2.40
-0.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 £2.42
$4.49 £3.38
-28.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Edinburgh
Lowestoft
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.13 £2.36
$3.51 £2.64
-10.83%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$99.8 £75.1
$95.2 £71.7
4.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 £4.10
$5.55 £4.18
-1.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.90 £1.43
$3.27 £2.46
-41.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.50 £21.45
$26.08 £19.63
9.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.06 £1.55
$2.07 £1.56
-0.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.8K
$38.2K £28.8K
0.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.7K £29.9K
$40.5K £30.5K
-2.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
Lowestoft
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$329 £248
$379 £285
-13.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.81 £12.65
$18.61 £14.01
-9.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.13 £32.46
$41.08 £30.91
4.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
Lowestoft
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.84 £31.49
$47.05 £35.41
-11.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.33 £17.56
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.67 £11.04
$17.91 £13.48
-18.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Edinburgh
Lowestoft
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,901 £1,430
$2,861 £2,153
-33.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.8K £19.4K
$36.0K £27.1K
-28.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
Lowestoft
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$82.2 £61.8
$116 £87.5
-29.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.0 £37.63
$55.0 £41.42
-9.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 £79.6
$126 £94.7
-15.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 £86.7
$162 £122
-28.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
Lowestoft
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,691 £1,273
$1,226 £922
37.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,205 £907
$1,031 £776
16.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,959 £2,227
$2,125 £1,599
39.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,184 £1,644
$1,632 £1,229
33.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,388 £4,807
$5,020 £3,778
27.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,514 £3,397
$3,878 £2,918
16.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Edinburgh
Lowestoft
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,632 £2,733
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
4.74
0.63%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lowestoft: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
$1.2K
Lowestoft
$1K 14.5% $174
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
$389
Lowestoft
$438 12.7% $49
Eating Out
Edinburgh
$361
Lowestoft
$383 6.2% $23
Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
$333
Lowestoft
$352 5.8% $19
Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
$159
Lowestoft
$207 30% $48
Getting Around
Edinburgh
$127
Lowestoft
$131 3% $3.8
Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
$71
Lowestoft
$83 16.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,691 in Edinburgh versus $1,226 in Lowestoft. 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 $105 in Edinburgh versus $105 in Lowestoft. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $352 – making Edinburgh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🇬🇧 Lowestoft
🕒 Local time
18:39 6:39 PM
18:39 6:39 PM
Same time as Edinburgh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
488,050
64,358
💱 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 Lowestoft 500 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Edinburgh
  • Lowestoft

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 Lowestoft: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is cheaper: Edinburgh or Lowestoft?
Edinburgh costs about 1% more than Lowestoft, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,968 per month in Edinburgh and $3,938 in Lowestoft. 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 Lowestoft, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,226 there versus $1,691 in Edinburgh.
What are total monthly expenses in Edinburgh and in Lowestoft?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,645 in Edinburgh and $2,625 in Lowestoft. That’s a gap of about 1%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,901 per month in Edinburgh and $2,861 in Lowestoft. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Edinburgh or in Lowestoft?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,645 in Edinburgh and $2,625 in Lowestoft. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Edinburgh or in Lowestoft?
It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,625 in Lowestoft to $2,645 in Edinburgh. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Edinburgh or Lowestoft?
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.

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