Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Preston Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Preston

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,772 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,102 in Preston, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,140 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,208 in Preston, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,508 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,314 in Preston, rent included.

Edinburgh costs about 32% more than Preston, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Edinburgh and Preston sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 107%, Preston by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.15 £14.99

$16.65 £12.38

21.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 £74.9

$74.7 £55.6

34.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 £7.44

$8.46 £6.29

18.20%

Cappuccino

$5.41 £4.03

$4.17 £3.11

29.74%

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

$2.51 £1.87

$2.14 £1.59

17.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 £1.51

$1.55 £1.15

30.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.52 £5.59

$5.38 £4.00

39.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 £5.07

$5.48 £4.08

24.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.55 £1.15

8.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 £1.30

$1.53 £1.14

13.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 £1.54

$1.79 £1.33

16.20%

Eggs

$4.25 £3.16

$3.74 £2.78

13.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 £9.03

$10.35 £7.70

17.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.48 £7.79

$8.23 £6.12

27.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 £13.93

$17.17 £12.77

9.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 £2.32

$2.83 £2.11

10.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 £1.15

$1.93 £1.44

-19.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 £3.07

$3.14 £2.34

31.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 £3.42

$3.79 £2.82

21.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 £1.36

$1.67 £1.24

9.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 £1.07

$2.09 £1.55

-31.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 £0.91

$1.03 £0.76

18.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 £1.01

$1.77 £1.31

-23.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.18 £15.01

$18.60 £13.83

8.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 £8.32

$9.48 £7.05

17.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 £1.86

$2.85 £2.12

-12.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 £2.44

$1.93 £1.44

70.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 £2.01

$2.78 £2.06

-2.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.4 £66.5

$118 £87.5

-23.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.31 £3.95

$2.69 £2.00

97.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.01 £2.24

$1.53 £1.14

96.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.48 £31.60

$16.08 £11.96

164.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.95 £1.45

-0.51%

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

$38.8K £28.9K

$38.9K £28.9K

-0.18%

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

$39.9K £29.7K

$42.1K £31.3K

-5.30%

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

$381 £283

$287 £213

32.84%

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

$17.69 £13.16

$16.15 £12.01

9.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.83 £32.60

$43.67 £32.48

0.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 £39.87

$42.37 £31.52

26.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.17 £17.98

$17.08 £12.70

41.51%

Cinema Ticket

$15.01 £11.17

$12.96 £9.64

15.82%

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

$1,937 £1,441

$1,310 £974

47.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K £17.7K

$8,845 £6,579

169.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £88.8

$80.7 £60.0

47.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.6 £40.59

$43.03 £32.01

26.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 £87.4

$74.9 £55.7

56.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 £91.2

$68.4 £50.9

79.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 £1,202

$1,036 £771

55.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 £917

$869 £647

41.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 £2,304

$1,999 £1,487

54.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,186 £1,626

$1,692 £1,258

29.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,544 £4,867

$3,346 £2,489

95.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,733 £3,520

$2,323 £1,728

103.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,601 £2,678

$3,083 £2,293

16.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

5.57

1.08%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: July 13, 2026

Last update for Preston: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,616 in Edinburgh versus $1,036 in Preston. 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 17% 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 $101 in Edinburgh versus $75.0 in Preston. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $305 – making Preston the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Preston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 32%, 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 $4,158 per month in Edinburgh and $3,153 in Preston. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Preston, 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 $101 in Edinburgh and $75.0 in Preston. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,772 in Edinburgh and $2,102 in Preston. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Preston, where all-in costs run around $2,102, than in Edinburgh at $2,772. In Preston it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Preston – 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 Preston. 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.