Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Newquay

For one person, living is cheaper in Newquay: $2,475 a month against $2,724 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Newquay, United Kingdom
Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,724
/mo nomad
Newquay
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,475
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Newquay

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

A single person spends $2,724 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,475 in Newquay, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $2,724
  • Newquay $2,475

A couple spends around $4,109 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,640 in Newquay, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $4,109
  • Newquay $3,640

A family of three spends $5,494 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,804 in Newquay, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $5,494
  • Newquay $4,804

Edinburgh costs about 10% more than Newquay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Edinburgh and Newquay sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 101%, Newquay by 83%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Edinburgh
Newquay
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.24 £18.05
$19.95 £14.85
21.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$108 £80.6
$81.6 £60.8
32.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.67 £7.94
$9.90 £7.37
7.78%
Cappuccino
$5.10 £3.79
$5.14 £3.83
-0.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 £1.85
$2.35 £1.75
5.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 £1.66
$1.59 £1.18
40.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.82 £5.82
$6.17 £4.59
26.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.14 £6.06
$6.76 £5.03
20.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
Newquay
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 £1.29
$1.71 £1.27
1.75%
White Bread (500g)
$2.32 £1.73
$1.59 £1.18
45.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.34 £1.74
$2.34 £1.74
-
Eggs
$4.90 £3.65
$4.31 £3.21
13.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.37 £6.97
$6.55 £4.88
43.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.62 £7.16
$11.96 £8.90
-19.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.82 £11.77
$12.81 £9.53
23.50%
Apples (1kg)
$3.09 £2.30
$2.24 £1.67
37.95%
Banana (1kg)
$1.91 £1.42
$1.79 £1.33
6.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.27 £2.44
$1.87 £1.39
74.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.57 £2.66
$2.27 £1.69
57.27%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 £1.48
$2.20 £1.64
-9.55%
Onion (1kg)
$1.57 £1.17
$1.32 £0.98
18.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.29 £0.96
$1.98 £1.48
-34.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 £1.44
$1.90 £1.41
1.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$24.15 £17.98
$24.12 £17.96
0.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.82 £8.05
$9.54 £7.10
13.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.18 £2.37
$2.83 £2.11
12.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27 £2.44
$2.20 £1.64
48.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Edinburgh
Newquay
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.29 £2.45
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$101 £75.0
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.29 £3.94
$5.23 £3.89
1.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.43 £1.81
$2.40 £1.79
1.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$46.91 £34.92
$25.89 £19.27
81.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.21 £1.64
$1.91 £1.43
15.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.5K £28.7K
$38.4K £28.6K
0.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.5K £30.1K
$41.3K £30.8K
-2.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
Newquay
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$335 £249
$357 £265
-6.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.31 £12.14
$16.31 £12.14
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.88 £30.43
$44.34 £33.00
-7.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
Newquay
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.45 £31.60
$54.6 £40.67
-22.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.02 £17.88
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.02 £11.18
$20.76 £15.45
-27.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Edinburgh
Newquay
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,869 £1,392
$2,179 £1,622
-14.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.0K £19.4K
$22.5K £16.8K
15.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
Newquay
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$83.9 £62.4
$90.6 £67.4
-7.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.78 £35.57
$50.2 £37.33
-4.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 £80.6
$159 £118
-31.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 £88.7
$142 £106
-16.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
Newquay
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,673 £1,245
$1,362 £1,014
22.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,273 £947
$1,138 £847
11.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,012 £2,242
$2,443 £1,819
23.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,247 £1,672
$1,986 £1,478
13.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,479 £4,823
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,429 £3,297
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Edinburgh
Newquay
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,796 £2,826
$2,190 £1,630
73.34%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
4.96
-3.83%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 31, 2026

Last update for Newquay: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
$1.3K
Newquay
$1.1K 10.6% $135
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
$392
Newquay
$417 6.4% $25
Eating Out
Edinburgh
$361
Newquay
$311 13.9% $50
Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
$333
Newquay
$296 11.1% $37
Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
$162
Newquay
$199 23.1% $37
Getting Around
Edinburgh
$131
Newquay
$17 * 86.9% $114
Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
$72
Newquay
$96 32.7% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,673 in Edinburgh versus $1,362 in Newquay. 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 73% higher in Edinburgh. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Edinburgh versus $82 in Newquay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $296 – making Newquay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🇬🇧 Newquay
🕒 Local time
14:55 2:55 PM
14:55 2:55 PM
Same time as Edinburgh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
488,050
20,189
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.744 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.835 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Edinburgh Newquay 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Edinburgh
  • Newquay

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 Newquay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Newquay cheaper than Edinburgh?
Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,086 per month in Edinburgh and $3,712 in Newquay. 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 Newquay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,362 there versus $1,673 in Edinburgh.
What are total monthly expenses in Edinburgh and in Newquay?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,724 in Edinburgh and $2,475 in Newquay. That makes Newquay about 9% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,869 per month in Edinburgh and $2,179 in Newquay. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $3,000 enough for either Edinburgh or Newquay?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,724 in Edinburgh and $2,475 in Newquay, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Edinburgh or in Newquay?
It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,475 in Newquay to $2,724 in Edinburgh. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Newquay. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Edinburgh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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