Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Salford Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Salford

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,718 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,511 in Salford, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,120 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,676 in Salford, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,521 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,841 in Salford, rent included.

Edinburgh costs about 8% more than Salford, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Edinburgh and Salford sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 102%, Salford by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.99 £14.82

$16.42 £12.17

21.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 £76.1

$107 £79.1

-3.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 £7.31

$12.52 £9.27

-21.17%

Cappuccino

$5.33 £3.95

$4.01 £2.97

32.92%

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

$2.52 £1.86

$1.84 £1.36

36.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 £1.45

$1.23 £0.92

59.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.33 £5.43

$4.72 £3.50

55.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 £4.94

$2.79 £2.07

138.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.79 £1.32

-8.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.95 £1.44

-10.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 £1.54

$2.18 £1.62

-5.05%

Eggs

$4.41 £3.27

$5.22 £3.87

-15.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.78 £8.73

$4.50 £3.34

161.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.59 £7.85

$13.72 £10.17

-22.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.60 £13.78

$14.02 £10.39

32.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 £2.34

$2.66 £1.97

18.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 £1.14

$1.92 £1.42

-19.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 £3.07

$2.87 £2.12

44.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 £3.53

$3.56 £2.64

33.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 £1.31

$1.16 £0.86

51.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 £1.06

$0.78 £0.58

84.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 £0.89

$0.91 £0.68

31.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 £0.98

$1.69 £1.25

-21.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.25 £15.00

$20.60 £15.26

-1.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 £7.93

$12.39 £9.18

-13.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 £1.95

$2.38 £1.76

10.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.43

$3.24 £2.40

0.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 £1.96

$3.30 £2.44

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.3 £65.4

$111 £82.1

-20.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 £4.00

$2.93 £2.17

84.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 £2.28

$1.58 £1.17

94.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.53 £32.25

$23.40 £17.34

86.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.95 £1.44

-4.10%

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

$37.7K £27.9K

$38.3K £28.4K

-1.71%

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

$39.6K £29.3K

$41.3K £30.6K

-4.19%

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

$378 £280

$402 £298

-5.93%

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

$17.18 £12.73

$20.67 £15.32

-16.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.60 £32.31

$28.07 £20.80

55.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 £40.22

$45.13 £33.44

20.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.78 £18.36

Cinema Ticket

$14.99 £11.11

$24.90 £18.45

-39.80%

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

$1,888 £1,399

$1,620 £1,200

16.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K £17.5K

$18.1K £13.4K

30.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 £86.9

$120 £89.2

-2.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 £40.91

$81.7 £60.6

-32.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 £85.5

$68.2 £50.5

69.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 £92.2

$100 £74.3

24.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,666 £1,235

$1,347 £998

23.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 £919

$1,068 £792

16.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,075 £2,278

$2,303 £1,707

33.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 £1,617

$1,788 £1,325

22.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,772 £5,018

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,908 £3,637

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,670 £2,719

$3,287 £2,435

11.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

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

Last update for Edinburgh: April 12, 2026

Last update for Salford: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,666 in Edinburgh versus $1,347 in Salford. 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 12% 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 $103 in Edinburgh versus $107 in Salford. Groceries tell a different story – $339 in Edinburgh vs $317 in Salford – so Salford wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Salford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 8%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,078 per month in Edinburgh and $3,766 in Salford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Salford, 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 $103 in Edinburgh and $107 in Salford. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,718 in Edinburgh and $2,511 in Salford. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Salford, where all-in costs run around $2,511, than in Edinburgh at $2,718. In Salford it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Salford – 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 Salford. 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.