Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Scarborough Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Scarborough

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,718 per month in Edinburgh vs $1,985 in Scarborough, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,120 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,840 in Scarborough, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,521 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,696 in Scarborough, rent included.

Edinburgh costs about 37% more than Scarborough, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Edinburgh and Scarborough sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 102%, Scarborough by 47%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.99 £14.82

$14.49 £10.73

37.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 £76.1

$69.5 £51.5

47.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 £7.31

$10.20 £7.56

-3.24%

Cappuccino

$5.33 £3.95

$4.41 £3.27

20.86%

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

$2.52 £1.86

$2.17 £1.61

16.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 £1.45

$0.96 £0.71

104.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.33 £5.43

$5.82 £4.32

25.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 £4.94

$4.76 £3.52

39.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.50 £1.11

8.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.63 £1.21

6.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 £1.54

$2.42 £1.79

-14.46%

Eggs

$4.41 £3.27

$3.78 £2.80

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.78 £8.73

$8.98 £6.66

31.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.59 £7.85

$8.21 £6.09

28.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.60 £13.78

$9.40 £6.97

97.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 £2.34

$3.41 £2.53

-7.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 £1.14

$1.45 £1.08

6.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 £3.07

$1.43 £1.06

190.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 £3.53

$2.17 £1.60

119.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 £1.31

$1.16 £0.86

51.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 £1.06

$1.51 £1.12

-4.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 £0.89

$1.05 £0.78

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 £0.98

$1.82 £1.35

-26.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.25 £15.00

$11.52 £8.53

75.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 £7.93

$10.77 £7.98

-0.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 £1.95

$2.81 £2.08

-6.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.43

$2.68 £1.99

22.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 £1.96

$3.05 £2.26

-13.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.3 £65.4

$96.2 £71.3

-8.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 £4.00

$4.26 £3.16

26.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 £2.28

$1.19 £0.88

157.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.53 £32.25

$16.34 £12.10

166.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.99 £1.48

-6.03%

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

$37.7K £27.9K

$36.2K £26.8K

4.13%

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

$39.6K £29.3K

$39.0K £28.9K

1.47%

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

$378 £280

$281 £208

34.91%

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

$17.18 £12.73

$16.02 £11.87

7.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.60 £32.31

$33.93 £25.14

28.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 £40.22

$33.93 £25.15

59.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.78 £18.36

$12.88 £9.55

92.39%

Cinema Ticket

$14.99 £11.11

$10.96 £8.12

36.77%

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

$1,888 £1,399

$1,738 £1,288

8.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K £17.5K

$18.3K £13.6K

29.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 £86.9

$68.2 £50.5

71.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 £40.91

$36.70 £27.19

50.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 £85.5

$113 £83.5

2.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 £92.2

$89.3 £66.1

39.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,666 £1,235

$895 £663

86.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 £919

$858 £636

44.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,075 £2,278

$1,586 £1,175

93.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 £1,617

$1,199 £888

82.05%

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

$2,091 £1,549

75.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

5.45

3.30%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: April 12, 2026

Last update for Scarborough: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,666 in Edinburgh versus $895 in Scarborough. 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 76% 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 $69 in Scarborough. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $339 vs $268 – making Scarborough the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Scarborough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 37%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. 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 $2,977 in Scarborough. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Scarborough, 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 $69.0 in Scarborough. 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 $1,985 in Scarborough. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Scarborough, where all-in costs run around $1,985, than in Edinburgh at $2,718. In Scarborough it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Scarborough – 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 Scarborough. 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.