Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Reading

For one person, living is cheaper in Edinburgh: $2,645 a month against $2,763 in Reading, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 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
134

Cost of Living Index in Reading
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Reading Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

Reading

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,763

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Reading

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

A single person spends $2,645 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,763 in Reading, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,645
Reading $2,763

A couple spends around $4,021 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,013 in Reading, rent included.

Edinburgh $4,021
Reading $4,013

A family of three spends $5,397 per month in Edinburgh vs $5,264 in Reading, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,397
Reading $5,264

Edinburgh is about 4% cheaper than Reading, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Edinburgh and Reading sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 94%, Reading by 103%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.35 £18.19

$27.16 £20.29

-10.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 £78.7

$92.3 £68.9

14.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 £7.82

$10.43 £7.79

0.38%

Cappuccino

$5.02 £3.75

$4.98 £3.72

0.80%

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

$2.41 £1.80

$2.89 £2.16

-16.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 £1.64

$2.78 £2.08

-21.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 £6.00

$8.66 £6.47

-7.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 £5.91

$6.48 £4.84

22.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 £1.31

$1.49 £1.11

17.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 £1.74

$1.75 £1.31

33.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 £1.75

$2.93 £2.19

-19.80%

Eggs

$5.13 £3.83

$3.73 £2.78

37.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 £6.76

$11.34 £8.47

-20.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 £6.92

$8.52 £6.37

8.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 £12.08

$12.90 £9.64

25.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.28

$2.98 £2.23

2.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.47 £1.10

27.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$2.91 £2.17

15.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 £2.80

$3.21 £2.40

16.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.53

$1.55 £1.16

32.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.40 £1.05

9.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 £1.00

$0.92 £0.69

44.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.41

$1.50 £1.12

26.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.87 £17.83

$24.01 £17.93

-0.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 £8.19

$13.89 £10.38

-21.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 £2.36

$2.32 £1.74

36.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.40

$3.08 £2.30

4.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 £2.34

$3.91 £2.92

-19.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 £74.6

$83.8 £62.6

19.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.07

$6.55 £4.89

-16.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 £1.42

$4.58 £3.42

-58.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 £21.29

$13.37 £9.99

113.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 £1.54

$2.00 £1.49

3.00%

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

$38.2K £28.6K

$39.3K £29.3K

-2.67%

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

$39.7K £29.7K

$40.6K £30.3K

-2.06%

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

$329 £246

$282 £211

16.60%

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

$16.81 £12.56

$20.55 £15.35

-18.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.13 £32.22

$46.40 £34.66

-7.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 £31.26

$44.80 £33.47

-6.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.33 £17.43

$21.12 £15.78

10.46%

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 £10.96

$13.18 £9.84

11.31%

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

$1,901 £1,420

$1,905 £1,423

-0.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K £19.3K

$29.2K £21.8K

-11.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 £61.4

$74.5 £55.7

10.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 £37.36

$67.7 £50.6

-26.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £79.0

$115 £85.6

-7.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £86.1

$109 £81.1

6.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 £1,263

$1,739 £1,299

-2.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 £900

$1,361 £1,017

-11.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,959 £2,211

$2,904 £2,170

1.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,184 £1,632

$2,165 £1,617

0.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,388 £4,772

$7,218 £5,392

-11.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 £3,372

$5,527 £4,129

-18.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,632 £2,713

$3,446 £2,575

5.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

-4.60%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Last update for Reading: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6%

Reading

$1.4K 49.3% 13% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$389 14.7%

Reading

$349 12.6% 10.2% $40

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$361 13.6%

Reading

$387 14% 7.3% $26

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.6%

Reading

$300 10.9% 9.7% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$159 6%

Reading

$164 6% 3.5% $5.5

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$127 4.8%

Reading

$129 4.7% 1.3% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$71 2.7%

Reading

$71 2.6% 0% $0

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,691 in Edinburgh versus $1,739 in Reading. 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 5% higher in Edinburgh, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Edinburgh versus $92 in Reading. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $300 – making Reading the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Reading

🕒 Local time

12:26 12:26 PM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

162,666

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Edinburgh Reading 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Edinburgh
Reading

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 Reading: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Reading is pricier by about 4%, 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 $4,144 in Reading. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,691 in Edinburgh and $1,739 in Reading. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Edinburgh and $92 in Reading. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,645 in Edinburgh and $2,763 in Reading. That makes Edinburgh about 4% cheaper.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,645 in Edinburgh and $2,763 in Reading. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Edinburgh costs $2,645 versus $2,763 in Reading. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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