Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Rochdale

For one person, living is cheaper in Rochdale: $2,333 a month against $2,724 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Rochdale
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Rochdale Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,724

/mo nomad

Rochdale

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,333

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Rochdale

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

A single person spends $2,724 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,333 in Rochdale, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,724
Rochdale $2,333

A couple spends around $4,109 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,357 in Rochdale, rent included.

Edinburgh $4,109
Rochdale $3,357

A family of three spends $5,494 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,380 in Rochdale, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,494
Rochdale $4,380

Edinburgh costs about 17% more than Rochdale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Edinburgh and Rochdale sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 101%, Rochdale by 73%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.24 £18.02

$25.39 £18.87

-4.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 £80.4

$88.1 £65.5

22.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.67 £7.93

$10.40 £7.73

2.60%

Cappuccino

$5.10 £3.79

$4.54 £3.38

12.33%

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

$2.48 £1.85

$2.49 £1.85

-0.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 £1.66

$1.92 £1.42

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 £5.81

$6.64 £4.93

17.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 £6.05

$6.88 £5.12

18.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.68 £1.25

3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 £1.73

$1.78 £1.32

30.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 £1.74

$1.97 £1.46

18.78%

Eggs

$4.90 £3.64

$3.99 £2.97

22.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 £6.96

$8.02 £5.96

16.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 £7.15

$8.53 £6.34

12.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.82 £11.75

$14.32 £10.65

10.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.30

$2.88 £2.14

7.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.70 £1.26

12.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 £2.43

$2.78 £2.07

17.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 £2.66

$2.96 £2.20

20.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 £1.48

$1.98 £1.47

0.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.43 £1.06

9.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 £0.96

$1.19 £0.88

8.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 £1.44

$1.58 £1.18

22.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.15 £17.95

$23.65 £17.58

2.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 £8.04

$9.85 £7.32

9.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 £2.36

$2.55 £1.90

24.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.43

$2.99 £2.22

9.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 £2.44

$2.76 £2.05

19.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 £74.9

$98.8 £73.4

1.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 £3.93

$4.61 £3.43

14.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 £1.80

$2.14 £1.59

13.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.91 £34.86

$16.32 £12.13

187.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 £1.64

$2.16 £1.60

2.31%

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

$38.5K £28.6K

$38.6K £28.7K

-0.27%

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

$40.5K £30.1K

$39.9K £29.7K

1.39%

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

$335 £249

$255 £189

31.31%

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

$16.31 £12.12

$16.46 £12.24

-0.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.88 £30.38

$41.51 £30.85

-1.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.45 £31.55

$44.43 £33.02

-4.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.02 £17.85

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 £11.16

$13.47 £10.01

11.51%

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

$1,869 £1,389

$1,447 £1,076

29.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K £19.3K

$17.8K £13.2K

46.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.9 £62.3

$85.4 £63.5

-1.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.78 £35.51

$43.21 £32.11

10.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.5

$92.4 £68.7

17.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 £88.5

$99.9 £74.3

19.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 £1,243

$1,280 £951

30.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,273 £946

$1,036 £770

22.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,012 £2,238

$2,054 £1,527

46.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,247 £1,670

$1,498 £1,113

50.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,479 £4,815

$5,144 £3,823

25.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,429 £3,291

$3,919 £2,912

13.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,796 £2,821

$2,367 £1,759

60.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

5.15

-7.38%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 31, 2026

Last update for Rochdale: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.3K 46.7%

Rochdale

$1K 44.4% 18.6% $236

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$392 14.4%

Rochdale

$313 13.4% 20.2% $79

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$361 13.3%

Rochdale

$353 15.2% 2.2% $7.9

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.2%

Rochdale

$290 12.4% 12.9% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$162 5.9%

Rochdale

$144 6.2% 10.6% $17

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$131 4.8%

Rochdale

$125 5.4% 4.7% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$72 2.7%

Rochdale

$71 3.1% 1.6% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,673 in Edinburgh versus $1,280 in Rochdale. 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 60% higher in Edinburgh. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Edinburgh versus $88 in Rochdale. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $290 – making Rochdale the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Rochdale

🕒 Local time

03:58 3:58 AM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

111,261

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.35 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.35 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Rochdale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,086 per month in Edinburgh and $3,500 in Rochdale. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rochdale, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,280 there versus $1,673 in Edinburgh.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,724 in Edinburgh and $2,333 in Rochdale. That makes Rochdale about 14% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,869 per month in Edinburgh and $1,447 in Rochdale. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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