Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Newtown

For one person, living is cheaper in Newtown: $2,196 a month against $2,724 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Newtown, United Kingdom
Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,724
/mo nomad
Newtown
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,196
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Newtown

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

A single person spends $2,724 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,196 in Newtown, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $2,724
  • Newtown $2,196

A couple spends around $4,109 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,258 in Newtown, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $4,109
  • Newtown $3,258

A family of three spends $5,494 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,320 in Newtown, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $5,494
  • Newtown $4,320

Edinburgh costs about 24% more than Newtown, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Edinburgh and Newtown sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 101%, Newtown by 62%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Edinburgh
Newtown
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.24 £17.98
$19.72 £14.63
22.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$108 £80.3
$80.0 £59.3
35.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.67 £7.91
$10.85 £8.05
-1.66%
Cappuccino
$5.10 £3.78
$4.89 £3.63
4.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 £1.84
$2.60 £1.93
-4.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 £1.66
$1.76 £1.31
27.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.82 £5.80
$6.87 £5.09
13.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.14 £6.03
$6.80 £5.04
19.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
Newtown
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 £1.29
$1.70 £1.26
2.35%
White Bread (500g)
$2.32 £1.72
$1.52 £1.13
52.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.34 £1.73
$2.00 £1.48
17.00%
Eggs
$4.90 £3.64
$3.72 £2.76
31.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.37 £6.95
$8.81 £6.53
6.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.62 £7.14
$8.22 £6.10
17.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.82 £11.73
$9.98 £7.40
58.52%
Apples (1kg)
$3.09 £2.29
$3.31 £2.45
-6.65%
Banana (1kg)
$1.91 £1.42
$1.90 £1.41
0.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.27 £2.43
$2.48 £1.84
31.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.57 £2.65
$4.60 £3.41
-22.39%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 £1.48
$3.02 £2.24
-34.11%
Onion (1kg)
$1.57 £1.16
$1.63 £1.21
-3.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.29 £0.96
$1.49 £1.11
-13.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 £1.43
$1.48 £1.10
30.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$24.15 £17.91
$23.91 £17.73
1.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.82 £8.02
$12.06 £8.95
-10.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.18 £2.36
$4.04 £3.00
-21.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27 £2.43
$4.85 £3.59
-32.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Edinburgh
Newtown
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.29 £2.44
$4.00 £2.96
-17.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$101 £74.7
$90.5 £67.1
11.37%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.29 £3.93
$4.61 £3.42
14.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.43 £1.80
$2.32 £1.72
4.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$46.91 £34.79
$24.98 £18.53
87.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.21 £1.64
$2.01 £1.49
9.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.5K £28.6K
$24.1K £17.9K
59.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.5K £30.0K
$40.3K £29.9K
0.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
Newtown
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$335 £248
$202 £150
65.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.31 £12.09
$17.11 £12.69
-4.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.88 £30.32
$47.47 £35.20
-13.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
Newtown
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.45 £31.48
$46.59 £34.55
-8.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.02 £17.82
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.02 £11.14
$13.55 £10.05
10.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Edinburgh
Newtown
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,869 £1,386
$1,932 £1,433
-3.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.0K £19.3K
$28.9K £21.5K
-10.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
Newtown
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$83.9 £62.2
$60.9 £45.14
37.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.78 £35.43
$36.50 £27.07
30.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 £80.3
$79.1 £58.6
36.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 £88.3
$79.7 £59.1
49.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
Newtown
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,673 £1,240
$1,264 £938
32.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,273 £944
$1,000 £742
27.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,012 £2,233
$2,058 £1,527
46.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,247 £1,666
$1,661 £1,232
35.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,479 £4,805
$4,557 £3,380
42.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,429 £3,284
$4,005 £2,970
10.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Edinburgh
Newtown
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,796 £2,815
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
5.61
-14.97%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 31, 2026

Last update for Newtown: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
$1.3K
Newtown
$1,000 21.4% $273
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
$392
Newtown
$267 31.9% $125
Eating Out
Edinburgh
$361
Newtown
$314 13% $47
Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
$333
Newtown
$304 8.8% $29
Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
$162
Newtown
$115 28.7% $46
Getting Around
Edinburgh
$131
Newtown
$123 6.6% $8.7
Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
$72
Newtown
$74 1.7% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,673 in Edinburgh versus $1,264 in Newtown. 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 $108 in Edinburgh versus $80 in Newtown. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $304 – making Newtown the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🇬🇧 Newtown
🕒 Local time
12:24 12:24 PM
12:24 12:24 PM
Same time as Edinburgh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
488,050
11,357
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.742 GBP (1 GBP = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 0.831 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Edinburgh Newtown 380 km
From you
  • Edinburgh
  • Newtown

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 Newtown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Newtown cheaper than Edinburgh?
Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,086 per month in Edinburgh and $3,294 in Newtown. 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 Newtown, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,264 there versus $1,673 in Edinburgh.
Is eating out cheaper in Edinburgh or in Newtown?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Edinburgh and $80 in Newtown. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Edinburgh and in Newtown?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,724 in Edinburgh and $2,196 in Newtown. That makes Newtown about 19% cheaper.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Edinburgh or in Newtown?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Newtown, where all-in costs run around $2,196, than in Edinburgh at $2,724. In Newtown it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Edinburgh or in Newtown?
It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,196 in Newtown to $2,724 in Edinburgh. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Edinburgh or Newtown?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Newtown is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 19% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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