Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Poole

For one person, living costs are similar in Edinburgh and in Poole: $2,645 and $2,641 a month, rent and utilities included.

128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Poole
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Poole Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

Poole

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Poole

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

A single person spends $2,645 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,641 in Poole, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,645
Poole $2,641

A couple spends around $4,021 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,917 in Poole, rent included.

Edinburgh $4,021
Poole $3,917

A family of three spends $5,397 per month in Edinburgh vs $5,193 in Poole, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,397
Poole $5,193

Edinburgh and Poole have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Edinburgh and Poole sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 94%, Poole by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.35 £18.18

$23.28 £17.38

4.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 £78.6

$102 £75.9

3.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 £7.81

$10.75 £8.03

-2.60%

Cappuccino

$5.02 £3.75

$5.19 £3.87

-3.28%

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

$2.41 £1.80

$3.08 £2.30

-21.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 £1.64

$2.25 £1.68

-2.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 £6.00

$6.86 £5.12

17.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 £5.91

$7.08 £5.29

11.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 £1.31

$1.70 £1.27

2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 £1.74

$1.56 £1.16

49.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 £1.75

$2.25 £1.68

4.44%

Eggs

$5.13 £3.83

$4.21 £3.14

21.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 £6.76

$6.50 £4.85

39.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 £6.92

$10.76 £8.03

-13.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 £12.08

$12.70 £9.48

27.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.28

$2.26 £1.69

34.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.73 £1.29

8.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$1.95 £1.46

71.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 £2.80

$2.16 £1.62

73.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.53

$2.03 £1.51

0.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.50 £1.12

2.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 £1.00

$1.78 £1.33

-25.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.41

$1.92 £1.43

-1.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.87 £17.82

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 £8.18

$9.72 £7.26

12.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 £2.36

$3.01 £2.25

4.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.40

$2.46 £1.84

30.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 £2.34

$3.89 £2.90

-19.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 £74.5

$76.0 £56.7

31.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.07

$3.28 £2.45

66.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 £1.42

$2.45 £1.83

-22.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 £21.28

$21.62 £16.15

31.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 £1.54

$2.03 £1.52

1.48%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$39.1K £29.2K

-2.10%

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

$39.7K £29.7K

$40.5K £30.3K

-2.04%

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

$329 £246

$359 £268

-8.27%

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

$16.81 £12.55

$20.32 £15.17

-17.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.13 £32.20

$43.31 £32.33

-0.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 £31.24

$80.8 £60.4

-48.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.33 £17.42

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 £10.95

$20.54 £15.34

-28.58%

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

$1,901 £1,419

$2,128 £1,589

-10.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K £19.2K

$33.8K £25.2K

-23.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 £61.4

$87.6 £65.4

-6.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 £37.34

$39.27 £29.32

27.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £78.9

$102 £75.9

3.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £86.0

$83.8 £62.6

37.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 £1,263

$1,176 £878

43.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 £900

$1,210 £903

-0.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,959 £2,209

$2,272 £1,697

30.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,184 £1,631

$2,093 £1,563

4.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,388 £4,769

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 £3,370

$2,119 £1,582

113.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,632 £2,712

$3,307 £2,469

9.83%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Poole: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6%

Poole

$1.2K 45.8% 0.4% $4.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$389 14.7%

Poole

$423 16% 8.6% $33

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$361 13.6%

Poole

$351 13.3% 2.8% $10

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.6%

Poole

$289 10.9% 13.2% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$159 6%

Poole

$141 5.3% 11.5% $18

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$127 4.8%

Poole

$107 4.1% 15.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$71 2.7%

Poole

$122 4.6% 71.3% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,691 in Edinburgh versus $1,176 in Poole. 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 10% higher in Edinburgh. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Edinburgh versus $102 in Poole. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $289 – making Poole the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Poole

🕒 Local time

02:27 2:27 AM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

154,718

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Edinburgh Poole 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Edinburgh
Poole

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 Poole: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,968 per month in Edinburgh and $3,961 in Poole. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Poole, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,176 there versus $1,691 in Edinburgh.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Edinburgh, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Kindergarten costs $1,901 per month in Edinburgh and $2,128 in Poole. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,645 in Edinburgh and $2,641 in Poole. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,641 in Poole to $2,645 in Edinburgh. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Poole. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Edinburgh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.