Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Preston

For one person, living is cheaper in Preston: $2,114 a month against $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in Preston
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Preston Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

Preston

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,114

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Preston

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

A single person spends $2,645 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,114 in Preston, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,645
Preston $2,114

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

Edinburgh $4,021
Preston $3,021

A family of three spends $5,397 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,928 in Preston, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,397
Preston $3,928

Edinburgh costs about 25% more than Preston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Edinburgh and Preston sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 94%, Preston by 55%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.35 £18.15

$15.89 £11.85

53.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 £78.5

$74.3 £55.4

41.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 £7.80

$9.20 £6.86

13.80%

Cappuccino

$5.02 £3.74

$4.24 £3.16

18.40%

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

$2.41 £1.80

$2.31 £1.72

4.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 £1.64

$1.83 £1.36

19.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 £5.99

$5.39 £4.02

49.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 £5.90

$5.20 £3.88

52.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 £1.31

$1.49 £1.11

17.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 £1.74

$1.43 £1.07

62.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 £1.75

$1.60 £1.19

46.88%

Eggs

$5.13 £3.82

$3.59 £2.68

42.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 £6.75

$5.30 £3.95

70.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 £6.91

$9.53 £7.10

-2.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 £12.06

$12.68 £9.46

27.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.27

$2.59 £1.93

17.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.72 £1.28

8.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$2.57 £1.92

30.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 £2.80

$3.96 £2.95

-5.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.53

$2.06 £1.53

-0.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$2.25 £1.68

-32.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 £0.99

$1.17 £0.87

13.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.41

$1.65 £1.23

14.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.87 £17.80

$21.56 £16.08

10.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 £8.17

$9.14 £6.81

19.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 £2.35

$3.18 £2.37

-0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.40

$3.25 £2.42

-0.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 £2.34

$3.92 £2.92

-20.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 £74.4

$98.5 £73.4

1.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.07

$2.60 £1.94

109.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 £1.42

$2.10 £1.57

-9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 £21.25

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 £1.54

$1.99 £1.48

3.52%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$37.9K £28.3K

0.88%

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

$39.7K £29.6K

$41.1K £30.7K

-3.46%

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

$329 £245

$439 £327

-25.01%

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

$16.81 £12.53

$14.86 £11.08

13.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.13 £32.15

$43.51 £32.44

-0.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 £31.19

$41.40 £30.87

1.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.33 £17.39

$16.80 £12.52

38.87%

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 £10.93

$17.83 £13.30

-17.72%

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

$1,901 £1,417

$1,512 £1,127

25.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K £19.2K

$8,738 £6,515

194.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 £61.3

$75.7 £56.5

8.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 £37.28

$26.16 £19.50

91.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £78.8

$65.4 £48.75

61.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £85.9

$66.4 £49.50

73.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 £1,261

$969 £723

74.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 £898

$767 £572

57.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,959 £2,206

$1,608 £1,199

83.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,184 £1,629

$1,211 £903

80.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,388 £4,762

$3,634 £2,709

75.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 £3,365

$2,379 £1,774

89.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,632 £2,708

$2,994 £2,232

21.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

4.93

-3.25%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Last update for Preston: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6%

Preston

$767 36.3% 36.3% $438

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$389 14.7%

Preston

$497 23.5% 27.8% $108

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$361 13.6%

Preston

$260 12.3% 28.1% $101

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.6%

Preston

$281 13.3% 15.6% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$159 6%

Preston

$105 5% 33.8% $54

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$127 4.8%

Preston

$127 6% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$71 2.7%

Preston

$77 3.6% 8.3% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,691 in Edinburgh versus $969 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 21% 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 $105 in Edinburgh versus $74 in Preston. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $281 – making Preston the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Preston

🕒 Local time

15:04 3:04 PM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

114,300

💱 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

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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 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,968 per month in Edinburgh and $3,172 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $969 there versus $1,691 in Edinburgh.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,645 in Edinburgh and $2,114 in Preston. That makes Preston about 20% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,901 per month in Edinburgh and $1,512 in Preston. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Preston, where all-in costs run around $2,114, than in Edinburgh at $2,645. 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.

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