Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Milton Keynes

For one person, living is cheaper in Milton Keynes: $2,511 a month against $2,724 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Milton Keynes
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Milton Keynes Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,724

/mo nomad

Milton Keynes

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Milton Keynes

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

A single person spends $2,724 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,511 in Milton Keynes, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,724
Milton Keynes $2,511

A couple spends around $4,109 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,563 in Milton Keynes, rent included.

Edinburgh $4,109
Milton Keynes $3,563

A family of three spends $5,494 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,614 in Milton Keynes, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,494
Milton Keynes $4,614

Edinburgh costs about 8% more than Milton Keynes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Edinburgh and Milton Keynes sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 101%, Milton Keynes by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.24 £18.05

$19.77 £14.72

22.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 £80.6

$86.1 £64.1

25.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.67 £7.94

$11.59 £8.63

-7.94%

Cappuccino

$5.10 £3.79

$4.64 £3.46

9.91%

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

$2.48 £1.85

$1.89 £1.41

31.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 £1.66

$1.12 £0.84

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 £5.82

$6.59 £4.91

18.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 £6.06

$6.06 £4.51

34.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.71 £1.27

1.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 £1.73

$1.48 £1.10

56.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 £1.74

$2.87 £2.14

-18.47%

Eggs

$4.90 £3.65

$3.97 £2.95

23.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 £6.97

$8.52 £6.34

9.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 £7.16

$9.00 £6.70

6.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.82 £11.77

$13.12 £9.77

20.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.30

$3.38 £2.52

-8.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.46 £1.09

30.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 £2.44

$2.60 £1.94

25.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 £2.66

$2.79 £2.08

27.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 £1.48

$1.97 £1.47

1.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.64 £1.22

-4.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 £0.96

$1.27 £0.95

1.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 £1.44

$1.38 £1.03

39.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.15 £17.98

$23.90 £17.79

1.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 £8.05

$9.29 £6.91

16.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 £2.37

$2.69 £2.00

18.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.44

$2.39 £1.78

36.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 £2.45

$4.13 £3.08

-20.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 £75.0

$84.5 £62.9

19.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 £3.94

$4.95 £3.68

6.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 £1.81

$1.63 £1.21

49.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.91 £34.92

$30.61 £22.78

53.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 £1.64

$2.12 £1.58

4.25%

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

$38.5K £28.7K

$38.3K £28.5K

0.59%

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

$40.5K £30.1K

0.06%

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

$335 £249

$309 £230

8.31%

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

$16.31 £12.14

$14.49 £10.79

12.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.88 £30.43

$41.15 £30.63

-0.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.45 £31.60

$34.73 £25.85

22.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.02 £17.88

$20.40 £15.19

17.75%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 £11.18

$23.63 £17.59

-36.44%

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

$1,869 £1,392

$2,387 £1,777

-21.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K £19.4K

$24.4K £18.2K

6.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.9 £62.4

$114 £84.7

-26.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.78 £35.57

$40.26 £29.97

18.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.6

$80.5 £59.9

34.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 £88.7

$97.6 £72.6

22.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 £1,245

$1,565 £1,165

6.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,273 £947

$1,208 £900

5.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,012 £2,242

$2,397 £1,785

25.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,247 £1,672

$1,770 £1,318

26.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,479 £4,823

$7,283 £5,421

-11.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,429 £3,297

$5,679 £4,227

-22.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,796 £2,826

$3,939 £2,932

-3.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

4.67

2.14%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 31, 2026

Last update for Milton Keynes: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.3K 46.7%

Milton Keynes

$1.2K 48.1% 5.1% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$392 14.4%

Milton Keynes

$365 14.5% 7% $27

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$361 13.3%

Milton Keynes

$306 12.2% 15.4% $56

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.2%

Milton Keynes

$287 11.4% 13.8% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$162 5.9%

Milton Keynes

$149 6% 7.5% $12

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$131 4.8%

Milton Keynes

$114 4.6% 13.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$72 2.7%

Milton Keynes

$82 3.3% 13.1% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,673 in Edinburgh versus $1,565 in Milton Keynes. 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 4% higher in Milton Keynes, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Edinburgh versus $86 in Milton Keynes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $287 – making Milton Keynes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Milton Keynes

🕒 Local time

00:15 12:15 AM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

229,941

💱 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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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 Milton Keynes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,086 per month in Edinburgh and $3,767 in Milton Keynes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,673 in Edinburgh and $1,565 in Milton Keynes. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Edinburgh and $86 in Milton Keynes. 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 $2,511 in Milton Keynes. That makes Milton Keynes about 8% cheaper.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,724 in Edinburgh and $2,511 in Milton Keynes. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Milton Keynes costs $2,511 versus $2,724 in Edinburgh. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Milton Keynes is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 8% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.