Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Oxford Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Oxford

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,767 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,083 in Oxford, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,064 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,405 in Oxford, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,361 per month in Edinburgh vs $5,726 in Oxford, rent included.

Edinburgh is about 10% cheaper than Oxford, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Edinburgh and Oxford sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 106%, Oxford by 130%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.73 £15.41

$20.09 £14.93

3.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 £76.9

$77.5 £57.6

33.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 £7.40

$10.39 £7.73

-4.23%

Cappuccino

$5.32 £3.96

$4.65 £3.46

14.41%

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

$2.61 £1.94

$2.31 £1.72

12.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 £1.49

$1.82 £1.35

10.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.64 £5.68

$8.25 £6.13

-7.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 £5.15

$7.28 £5.41

-4.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.23

$1.95 £1.45

-15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.29

$1.63 £1.21

6.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 £1.62

$2.93 £2.18

-25.60%

Eggs

$4.37 £3.25

$5.19 £3.86

-15.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 £8.86

$14.29 £10.62

-16.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 £7.62

$9.39 £6.98

9.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.87 £14.03

$14.39 £10.70

31.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 £2.40

$4.08 £3.04

-21.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.11

$1.56 £1.16

-4.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 £3.08

$3.21 £2.38

28.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 £3.52

$5.56 £4.13

-14.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 £1.35

$1.68 £1.25

8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 £1.05

$1.96 £1.46

-27.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.87

$1.05 £0.78

10.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 £0.99

$2.02 £1.50

-34.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.21 £15.02

$19.74 £14.67

2.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.36 £8.44

$11.16 £8.30

1.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 £1.86

$3.60 £2.68

-30.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.43

$4.66 £3.46

-29.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 £1.96

$3.38 £2.51

-21.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.4 £66.5

$112 £83.2

-20.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.15

$8.05 £5.98

-30.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 £2.34

$1.89 £1.40

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.77 £31.79

$33.31 £24.76

28.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.93 £1.43

1.04%

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

$38.2K £28.4K

$38.1K £28.3K

0.48%

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

$38.8K £28.9K

$44.2K £32.9K

-12.18%

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

$381 £283

$384 £285

-0.70%

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

$17.32 £12.88

$18.63 £13.84

-7.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.43 £33.03

$46.94 £34.89

-5.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 £40.51

$58.2 £43.27

-6.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.51 £18.22

$12.30 £9.14

99.27%

Cinema Ticket

$14.73 £10.95

$15.10 £11.22

-2.45%

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

$1,944 £1,445

$1,758 £1,307

10.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K £17.9K

$53.3K £39.6K

-54.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 £87.9

$96.0 £71.4

23.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 £41.34

$52.5 £39.05

5.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 £86.5

$93.6 £69.6

24.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 £93.4

$118 £88.0

6.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 £1,229

$2,139 £1,590

-22.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 £893

$1,532 £1,139

-21.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,062 £2,276

$3,534 £2,627

-13.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,168 £1,612

$2,510 £1,866

-13.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,616 £4,918

$8,154 £6,061

-18.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,869 £3,619

$6,899 £5,128

-29.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,659 £2,720

$4,073 £3,027

-10.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

5.74

-1.92%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: May 31, 2026

Last update for Oxford: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,653 in Edinburgh versus $2,139 in Oxford. 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 11% higher in Oxford, 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 $77.0 in Oxford. Groceries tell a different story – $340 in Edinburgh vs $359 in Oxford – so Edinburgh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Oxford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Oxford is pricier by about 11%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,150 per month in Edinburgh and $4,625 in Oxford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Edinburgh, 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 $77.0 in Oxford. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,767 in Edinburgh and $3,083 in Oxford. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,767 in Edinburgh and $3,083 in Oxford. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Edinburgh – 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 Edinburgh. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Oxford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.