Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Oswestry

For one person, living is cheaper in Oswestry: $2,133 a month against $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,601
/mo nomad
Oswestry
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,133
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Oswestry

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

A single person spends $2,601 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,133 in Oswestry, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $2,601
  • Oswestry $2,133

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,753 in Oswestry, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $3,985
  • Oswestry $2,753

A family of three spends $5,369 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,373 in Oswestry, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $5,369
  • Oswestry $3,373

Edinburgh costs about 22% more than Oswestry, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Edinburgh and Oswestry sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 92%, Oswestry by 57%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Edinburgh
Oswestry
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.67 £17.76
$14.62 £10.97
61.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$108 £81.4
$66.6 £49.97
62.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 £8.04
$8.77 £6.58
22.12%
Cappuccino
$5.25 £3.94
$3.32 £2.49
58.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 £1.86
$2.52 £1.89
-1.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 £1.63
$1.60 £1.20
35.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.94 £5.96
$3.93 £2.95
102.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.00 £6.00
$4.45 £3.34
79.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
Oswestry
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 £1.27
$1.44 £1.08
17.36%
White Bread (500g)
$2.35 £1.77
$1.59 £1.19
47.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.36 £1.77
$1.85 £1.39
27.57%
Eggs
$4.96 £3.72
$4.01 £3.01
23.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.20 £6.91
$9.49 £7.12
-3.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.33 £7.00
$8.56 £6.42
9.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.79 £11.85
$15.28 £11.46
3.34%
Apples (1kg)
$3.01 £2.26
$2.11 £1.58
42.65%
Banana (1kg)
$1.88 £1.41
$1.51 £1.13
24.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.42 £2.57
$2.95 £2.21
15.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.67 £2.75
$3.49 £2.62
5.16%
Potato (1kg)
$2.01 £1.51
$1.55 £1.16
29.68%
Onion (1kg)
$1.55 £1.16
$1.37 £1.03
13.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.32 £0.99
$0.97 £0.73
36.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 £1.45
$1.18 £0.88
63.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.23 £17.43
$20.67 £15.51
12.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.20 £8.40
$9.77 £7.33
14.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.12 £2.34
$2.43 £1.82
28.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27 £2.46
$3.13 £2.35
4.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Edinburgh
Oswestry
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 £2.35
$3.07 £2.30
2.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$97.0 £72.8
$98.0 £73.6
-1.04%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.43 £4.08
$4.45 £3.34
22.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.82 £1.37
$1.46 £1.10
24.66%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.32 £21.25
$23.49 £17.63
20.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.08 £1.56
$2.02 £1.51
2.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.6K £28.9K
$33.4K £25.0K
15.56%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.9K £29.9K
$41.0K £30.7K
-2.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
Oswestry
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$328 £246
$247 £186
32.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.47 £12.36
$16.46 £12.35
0.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.32 £31.75
$39.96 £29.98
5.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
Oswestry
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.41 £33.32
$46.01 £34.52
-3.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.05 £17.30
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.39 £10.79
$11.21 £8.41
28.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Edinburgh
Oswestry
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,775 £1,331
$1,261 £946
40.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K £19.2K
$20.4K £15.3K
25.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
Oswestry
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$81.2 £60.9
$60.5 £45.40
34.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.04 £36.79
$39.75 £29.82
23.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 £81.2
$57.4 £43.05
88.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 £85.9
$81.1 £60.8
41.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
Oswestry
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,600 £1,200
$1,218 £914
31.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,168 £876
$1,020 £765
14.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,803 £2,103
$1,014 £761
176.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,155 £1,617
$978 £733
120.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,714 £5,037
$5,149 £3,863
30.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,715 £3,538
$3,799 £2,850
24.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Edinburgh
Oswestry
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,558 £2,669
$2,154 £1,616
65.16%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
4.82
-1.04%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 17, 2026

Last update for Oswestry: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
$1.2K
Oswestry
$1K 12.7% $148
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
$387
Oswestry
$304 21.5% $83
Eating Out
Edinburgh
$359
Oswestry
$228 36.4% $131
Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
$332
Oswestry
$283 14.7% $49
Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
$159
Oswestry
$107 32.4% $51
Getting Around
Edinburgh
$124
Oswestry
$122 1.6% $2
Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
$73
Oswestry
$68 6.5% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,600 in Edinburgh versus $1,218 in Oswestry. 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 65% 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 $108 in Edinburgh versus $67.0 in Oswestry. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $283 – making Oswestry the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🇬🇧 Oswestry
🕒 Local time
22:16 10:16 PM
22:16 10:16 PM
Same time as Edinburgh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
488,050
18,743
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Edinburgh Oswestry 340 km
From you
  • Edinburgh
  • Oswestry

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 Oswestry: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Oswestry cheaper than Edinburgh?
Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 22%, 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 $3,902 per month in Edinburgh and $3,199 in Oswestry. 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 Oswestry, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Edinburgh or in Oswestry?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Edinburgh and $67.0 in Oswestry. 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 Oswestry?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,601 in Edinburgh and $2,133 in Oswestry. That's a gap of about 22%.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Edinburgh or in Oswestry?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Oswestry, where all-in costs run around $2,133, than in Edinburgh at $2,601. In Oswestry it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Edinburgh or Oswestry more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Oswestry – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Edinburgh or Oswestry?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Oswestry. 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.

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