Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Middlesbrough

For one person, living is cheaper in Middlesbrough: $2,089 a month against $2,617 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
102

Cost of Living Index in Middlesbrough
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Middlesbrough Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,617

/mo nomad

Middlesbrough

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,089

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Middlesbrough

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

A single person spends $2,617 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,089 in Middlesbrough, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,617
Middlesbrough $2,089

A couple spends around $3,956 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,001 in Middlesbrough, rent included.

Edinburgh $3,956
Middlesbrough $3,001

A family of three spends $5,295 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,913 in Middlesbrough, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,295
Middlesbrough $3,913

Edinburgh costs about 25% more than Middlesbrough, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Edinburgh and Middlesbrough sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 94%, Middlesbrough by 55%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.64 £17.73

$23.80 £17.85

-0.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 £78.2

$72.5 £54.4

43.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 £7.86

$10.73 £8.05

-2.33%

Cappuccino

$5.08 £3.81

$4.69 £3.52

8.32%

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

$2.50 £1.87

$2.41 £1.81

3.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 £1.61

$1.79 £1.35

20.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 £6.04

$4.70 £3.53

71.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 £6.10

$7.17 £5.38

13.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.26

$1.22 £0.92

37.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 £1.71

$1.41 £1.06

62.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 £1.69

$2.45 £1.84

-8.16%

Eggs

$5.05 £3.79

$3.70 £2.77

36.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 £6.79

$7.68 £5.76

17.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 £7.12

$7.29 £5.47

30.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.12 £12.10

$14.41 £10.81

11.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.29

$2.48 £1.86

22.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 £1.45

$2.38 £1.79

-18.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 £2.52

$2.57 £1.93

30.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 £2.76

$2.60 £1.95

41.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 £1.55

$1.78 £1.34

16.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 £1.16

$1.54 £1.15

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.94

$1.16 £0.87

7.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 £1.45

$3.03 £2.27

-35.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.67 £17.76

$22.39 £16.79

5.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 £8.35

$9.42 £7.07

18.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.42

$4.43 £3.32

-27.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 £2.40

$3.68 £2.76

-13.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.20 £2.40

$5.53 £4.15

-42.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.7 £72.6

$92.6 £69.5

4.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.18 £3.89

$4.39 £3.29

18.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 £1.40

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.69 £21.52

$25.94 £19.46

10.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.60

$1.99 £1.49

7.54%

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

$38.6K £29.0K

$37.6K £28.2K

2.66%

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

$41.2K £30.9K

$39.8K £29.9K

3.30%

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

$330 £248

$346 £260

-4.70%

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

$16.39 £12.30

$16.93 £12.70

-3.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.15 £31.63

$41.87 £31.41

0.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.13 £33.11

$49.69 £37.28

-11.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.04 £17.28

$32.46 £24.35

-29.02%

Cinema Ticket

$14.30 £10.73

$14.43 £10.83

-0.90%

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

$1,759 £1,319

$795 £596

121.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K £19.0K

$40.4K £30.3K

-37.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 £60.4

$106 £79.8

-24.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.45 £37.10

$53.8 £40.36

-8.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £79.2

$110 £82.7

-4.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £86.0

$104 £78.2

9.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,611 £1,209

$997 £748

61.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 £889

$683 £513

73.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 £2,054

$961 £721

185.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 £1,580

$955 £716

120.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,632 £4,976

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,609 £3,458

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,522 £2,642

$2,303 £1,728

52.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

5.64

-15.43%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 11, 2026

Last update for Middlesbrough: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.3%

Middlesbrough

$683 32.7% 42.3% $501

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$389 14.9%

Middlesbrough

$405 19.4% 4.3% $17

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$357 13.6%

Middlesbrough

$334 16% 6.5% $23

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.7%

Middlesbrough

$301 14.4% 9.4% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$158 6%

Middlesbrough

$169 8.1% 7% $11

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$124 4.7%

Middlesbrough

$119 * 5.7% 4% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$73 2.8%

Middlesbrough

$79 3.8% 8% $5.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,611 in Edinburgh versus $997 in Middlesbrough. 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 53% 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 $72.0 in Middlesbrough. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $301 – making Middlesbrough the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Middlesbrough

🕒 Local time

07:25 7:25 AM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

139,000

💱 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 vs Middlesbrough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,925 per month in Edinburgh and $3,134 in Middlesbrough. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Middlesbrough, 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 $72.0 in Middlesbrough. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,617 in Edinburgh and $2,089 in Middlesbrough. That's a gap of about 25%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Middlesbrough, where all-in costs run around $2,089, than in Edinburgh at $2,617. In Middlesbrough it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Middlesbrough – 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 Middlesbrough. 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.