Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Shrewsbury, Shropshire

For one person, living is cheaper in Shrewsbury, Shropshire: $2,060 a month against $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,601
/mo nomad
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,060
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Shrewsbury, Shropshire

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

A single person spends $2,601 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,060 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $2,601
  • Shrewsbury, Shropshire $2,060

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,922 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $3,985
  • Shrewsbury, Shropshire $2,922

A family of three spends $5,369 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,784 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $5,369
  • Shrewsbury, Shropshire $3,784

Edinburgh costs about 26% more than Shrewsbury, Shropshire, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Edinburgh and Shrewsbury, Shropshire sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 92%, Shrewsbury, Shropshire by 52%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Edinburgh
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.67 £17.76
$19.87 £14.91
19.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$108 £81.4
$56.1 £42.08
93.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 £8.04
$8.76 £6.57
22.26%
Cappuccino
$5.25 £3.94
$4.57 £3.43
14.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 £1.86
$3.00 £2.25
-17.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 £1.63
$2.47 £1.86
-12.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.94 £5.96
$5.30 £3.98
49.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.00 £6.00
$6.79 £5.10
17.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 £1.27
$1.99 £1.50
-15.08%
White Bread (500g)
$2.35 £1.77
$2.39 £1.79
-1.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.36 £1.77
$2.15 £1.61
9.77%
Eggs
$4.96 £3.72
$4.09 £3.07
21.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.20 £6.91
$7.95 £5.96
15.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.33 £7.00
$9.08 £6.81
2.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.79 £11.85
$9.36 £7.02
68.70%
Apples (1kg)
$3.01 £2.26
$2.07 £1.56
45.41%
Banana (1kg)
$1.88 £1.41
$1.28 £0.96
46.87%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.42 £2.57
$2.49 £1.87
37.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.67 £2.75
$1.16 £0.87
216.38%
Potato (1kg)
$2.01 £1.51
$1.47 £1.10
36.73%
Onion (1kg)
$1.55 £1.16
$1.07 £0.80
44.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.32 £0.99
$0.95 £0.71
38.95%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 £1.45
$1.20 £0.90
60.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.23 £17.43
$23.96 £17.97
-3.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.20 £8.40
$9.07 £6.80
23.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.12 £2.34
$2.62 £1.97
19.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27 £2.46
$4.54 £3.40
-27.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Edinburgh
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 £2.35
$2.86 £2.15
9.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$97.0 £72.8
$91.6 £68.7
5.95%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.43 £4.08
$6.12 £4.59
-11.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.82 £1.37
$3.96 £2.97
-54.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.32 £21.25
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.08 £1.56
$1.90 £1.42
9.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.6K £28.9K
$39.2K £29.4K
-1.56%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.9K £29.9K
$40.3K £30.2K
-1.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$328 £246
$203 £152
62.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.47 £12.36
$23.89 £17.93
-31.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.32 £31.75
$39.81 £29.87
6.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.41 £33.32
$76.8 £57.6
-42.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.05 £17.30
$13.20 £9.91
74.62%
Cinema Ticket
$14.39 £10.79
$15.15 £11.37
-5.02%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Edinburgh
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,775 £1,331
$1,452 £1,090
22.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K £19.2K
$18.5K £13.9K
38.18%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$81.2 £60.9
$61.0 £45.74
33.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.04 £36.79
$46.80 £35.11
4.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 £81.2
$83.7 £62.8
29.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 £85.9
$100 £75.3
14.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,600 £1,200
$1,053 £790
52.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,168 £876
$859 £645
35.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,803 £2,103
$1,564 £1,174
79.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,155 £1,617
$1,213 £910
77.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,714 £5,037
$3,990 £2,993
68.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,715 £3,538
$2,948 £2,212
59.93%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Edinburgh
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,558 £2,669
$2,434 £1,826
46.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
5.3
-10.00%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 17, 2026

Last update for Shrewsbury, Shropshire: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
$1.2K
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
$859 26.4% $308
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
$387
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
$266 31.2% $121
Eating Out
Edinburgh
$359
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
$302 15.8% $57
Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
$332
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
$265 20.1% $67
Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
$159
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
$131 17.3% $28
Getting Around
Edinburgh
$124
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
$129 3.9% $4.8
Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
$73
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
$107 46.3% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,600 in Edinburgh versus $1,053 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. 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 46% 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 $108 in Edinburgh versus $56.0 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $265 – making Shrewsbury, Shropshire the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🇬🇧 Shrewsbury, Shropshire
🕒 Local time
16:00 4:00 PM
16:00 4:00 PM
Same time as Edinburgh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
488,050
76,782
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Edinburgh Shrewsbury, Shropshire 360 km
From you
  • Edinburgh
  • Shrewsbury, Shropshire

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 Shrewsbury, Shropshire: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Shrewsbury, Shropshire cheaper than Edinburgh?
Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,902 per month in Edinburgh and $3,090 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Edinburgh or in Shrewsbury, Shropshire?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Edinburgh and $56.0 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Edinburgh and in Shrewsbury, Shropshire?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,601 in Edinburgh and $2,060 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. That's a gap of about 26%.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Edinburgh or in Shrewsbury, Shropshire?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, where all-in costs run around $2,060, than in Edinburgh at $2,601. In Shrewsbury, Shropshire it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Edinburgh or Shrewsbury, Shropshire more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Shrewsbury, Shropshire – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Edinburgh or Shrewsbury, Shropshire?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Shrewsbury, Shropshire. 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.

Edinburgh vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?