Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Slough

For one person, living is cheaper in Edinburgh: $2,645 a month against $2,900 in Slough, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Slough, United Kingdom
Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,645
/mo nomad
Slough
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,900
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Slough

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

A single person spends $2,645 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,900 in Slough, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $2,645
  • Slough $2,900

A couple spends around $4,021 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,194 in Slough, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $4,021
  • Slough $4,194

A family of three spends $5,397 per month in Edinburgh vs $5,488 in Slough, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $5,397
  • Slough $5,488

Edinburgh is about 9% cheaper than Slough, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Edinburgh and Slough sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 94%, Slough by 113%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Edinburgh
Slough
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.35 £18.18
$24.10 £17.99
1.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$105 £78.6
$81.2 £60.6
29.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.47 £7.81
$10.25 £7.65
2.15%
Cappuccino
$5.02 £3.75
$4.98 £3.72
0.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41 £1.80
$2.88 £2.15
-16.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 £1.64
$2.11 £1.58
3.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.04 £6.00
$6.48 £4.83
24.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.91 £5.91
$6.47 £4.83
22.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
Slough
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.75 £1.31
$1.84 £1.38
-4.89%
White Bread (500g)
$2.33 £1.74
$1.48 £1.11
57.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.35 £1.75
$2.95 £2.20
-20.34%
Eggs
$5.13 £3.83
$3.61 £2.70
42.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.05 £6.76
$11.10 £8.29
-18.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.26 £6.92
$8.61 £6.43
7.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.17 £12.08
$12.52 £9.35
29.15%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 £2.28
$3.05 £2.28
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.87 £1.40
$1.54 £1.15
21.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.35 £2.50
$2.97 £2.22
12.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.75 £2.80
$3.22 £2.41
16.46%
Potato (1kg)
$2.05 £1.53
$2.63 £1.97
-22.05%
Onion (1kg)
$1.53 £1.14
$1.30 £0.97
17.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.33 £1.00
$1.08 £0.81
23.15%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 £1.41
$1.46 £1.09
29.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.87 £17.82
$23.74 £17.73
0.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.96 £8.18
$13.39 £10.00
-18.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.16 £2.36
$2.27 £1.69
39.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 £2.40
$2.73 £2.04
17.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Edinburgh
Slough
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.13 £2.34
$3.90 £2.91
-19.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$99.8 £74.5
$239 £178
-58.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 £4.07
$6.77 £5.06
-19.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.90 £1.42
$4.57 £3.41
-58.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.50 £21.28
$39.51 £29.50
-27.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.06 £1.54
$2.03 £1.52
1.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.5K
$39.0K £29.1K
-2.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.7K £29.7K
$40.0K £29.9K
-0.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
Slough
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$329 £246
$311 £232
5.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.81 £12.55
$20.97 £15.66
-19.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.13 £32.20
$45.07 £33.65
-4.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
Slough
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.84 £31.24
$41.57 £31.04
0.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.33 £17.42
$8.45 £6.31
176.09%
Cinema Ticket
$14.67 £10.95
$13.09 £9.77
12.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Edinburgh
Slough
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,901 £1,419
$1,750 £1,307
8.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.8K £19.2K
$24.1K £18.0K
6.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
Slough
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$82.2 £61.4
$69.4 £51.8
18.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.0 £37.34
$68.0 £50.8
-26.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 £78.9
$114 £84.9
-6.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 £86.0
$109 £81.3
5.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
Slough
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,691 £1,263
$1,695 £1,266
-0.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,205 £900
$1,358 £1,014
-11.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,959 £2,209
$2,903 £2,168
1.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,184 £1,631
$2,204 £1,646
-0.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,388 £4,769
$17.8K £13.3K
-64.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,514 £3,370
$13.0K £9,742
-65.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Edinburgh
Slough
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,632 £2,712
$3,377 £2,521
7.55%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
5
-4.60%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Last update for Slough: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
$1.2K
Slough
$1.4K 12.7% $153
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
$389
Slough
$377 3% $12
Eating Out
Edinburgh
$361
Slough
$349 3.4% $12
Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
$333
Slough
$302 9.3% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
$159
Slough
$162 2% $3.1
Getting Around
Edinburgh
$127
Slough
$284 123% $157
Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
$71
Slough
$68 4.8% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,691 in Edinburgh versus $1,695 in Slough. 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 8% higher in Edinburgh, 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 $81 in Slough. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $302 – making Slough the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🇬🇧 Slough
🕒 Local time
01:56 1:56 AM
01:56 1:56 AM
Same time as Edinburgh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
488,050
164,455
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Edinburgh Slough 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Edinburgh
  • Slough

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 Slough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Edinburgh cheaper than Slough?
Yes – Slough is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,968 per month in Edinburgh and $4,349 in Slough. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Edinburgh and Slough?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,691 in Edinburgh and $1,695 in Slough. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Is eating out cheaper in Edinburgh or in Slough?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Edinburgh and $81 in Slough. 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 Slough?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,645 in Edinburgh and $2,900 in Slough. That makes Edinburgh about 9% cheaper.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Edinburgh or in Slough?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,645 in Edinburgh and $2,900 in Slough. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Edinburgh or in Slough?
It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,645 in Edinburgh to $2,900 in Slough. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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