Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Rugby

For one person, living is cheaper in Rugby: $2,353 a month against $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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
113

Cost of Living Index in Rugby
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Rugby Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

Rugby

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,353

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Rugby

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

A single person spends $2,645 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,353 in Rugby, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,645
Rugby $2,353

A couple spends around $4,021 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,513 in Rugby, rent included.

Edinburgh $4,021
Rugby $3,513

A family of three spends $5,397 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,673 in Rugby, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,397
Rugby $4,673

Edinburgh costs about 12% more than Rugby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Edinburgh and Rugby sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 94%, Rugby by 73%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.35 £18.32

$19.95 £15.01

22.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 £79.2

$80.1 £60.3

31.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 £7.88

$9.38 £7.06

11.62%

Cappuccino

$5.02 £3.78

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

$2.41 £1.82

$2.07 £1.56

16.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 £1.65

$1.49 £1.12

46.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 £6.05

$6.13 £4.61

31.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 £5.95

$6.42 £4.83

23.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 £1.32

$1.72 £1.29

1.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 £1.75

$1.82 £1.37

28.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 £1.77

$2.62 £1.97

-10.31%

Eggs

$5.13 £3.86

$3.93 £2.95

30.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 £6.81

$9.35 £7.04

-3.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 £6.97

$7.92 £5.96

16.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 £12.17

$15.17 £11.42

6.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.29

$2.58 £1.94

18.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 £1.41

$1.77 £1.33

5.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 £2.52

$2.49 £1.87

34.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 £2.83

$3.13 £2.35

19.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.54

$1.64 £1.24

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.15

$1.79 £1.35

-14.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 £1.00

$1.30 £0.98

2.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.42

$1.64 £1.24

15.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.87 £17.96

$22.48 £16.92

6.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 £8.25

$11.88 £8.94

-7.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 £2.37

$3.74 £2.82

-15.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.42

$3.25 £2.45

-0.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 £2.36

$2.60 £1.96

20.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 £75.1

$96.6 £72.7

3.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.10

$4.69 £3.53

16.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 £1.43

$1.61 £1.21

18.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 £21.45

$24.12 £18.15

18.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 £1.55

$2.02 £1.52

1.98%

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

$38.2K £28.8K

$38.4K £28.9K

-0.30%

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

$39.7K £29.9K

$41.0K £30.8K

-3.02%

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

$329 £248

$269 £202

22.38%

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

$16.81 £12.65

$20.01 £15.06

-15.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.13 £32.46

$46.65 £35.11

-7.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 £31.49

$57.7 £43.41

-27.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.33 £17.56

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 £11.04

$14.92 £11.23

-1.68%

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

$1,901 £1,430

$1,617 £1,217

17.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K £19.4K

$22.3K £16.8K

15.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 £61.8

$105 £79.0

-21.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 £37.63

$31.48 £23.70

58.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £79.6

$82.6 £62.2

27.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £86.7

$114 £85.9

0.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 £1,273

$1,117 £841

51.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 £907

$1,049 £789

14.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,959 £2,227

$1,799 £1,354

64.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,184 £1,644

$1,847 £1,390

18.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,388 £4,807

$5,050 £3,801

26.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 £3,397

$3,853 £2,900

17.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,632 £2,733

$4,564 £3,435

-20.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

5.09

-6.29%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Last update for Rugby: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6%

Rugby

$1K 44.6% 13% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$389 14.7%

Rugby

$336 14.3% 13.7% $53

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$361 13.6%

Rugby

$306 13% 15.3% $55

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.6%

Rugby

$306 13% 8% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$159 6%

Rugby

$150 6.4% 5.6% $9

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$127 4.8%

Rugby

$120 5.1% 6% $7.6

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$71 2.7%

Rugby

$88 3.7% 23% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,691 in Edinburgh versus $1,117 in Rugby. 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 26% higher in Rugby, 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 $80 in Rugby. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $306 – making Rugby the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Rugby

🕒 Local time

22:54 10:54 PM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

70,628

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Edinburgh Rugby 420 km

From you

Edinburgh
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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 Rugby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 12%, 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 $3,530 in Rugby. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rugby, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,117 there versus $1,691 in Edinburgh.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Edinburgh and $80 in Rugby. 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 $2,353 in Rugby. That makes Rugby about 11% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Rugby – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Rugby is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 11% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.