Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Southampton

For one person, living costs are similar in Edinburgh and in Southampton: $2,645 and $2,655 a month, rent and utilities included.

128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Southampton
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Southampton Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

Southampton

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,655

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Southampton

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

A single person spends $2,645 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,655 in Southampton, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,645
Southampton $2,655

A couple spends around $4,021 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,818 in Southampton, rent included.

Edinburgh $4,021
Southampton $3,818

A family of three spends $5,397 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,981 in Southampton, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,397
Southampton $4,981

Edinburgh and Southampton have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Edinburgh and Southampton sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 94%, Southampton by 95%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.35 £18.15

$26.76 £19.95

-9.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 £78.5

$89.6 £66.8

17.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 £7.80

$11.12 £8.29

-5.85%

Cappuccino

$5.02 £3.74

$5.43 £4.05

-7.55%

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

$2.41 £1.80

$2.98 £2.22

-19.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 £1.64

$2.24 £1.67

-2.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 £5.99

$7.46 £5.56

7.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 £5.90

$6.75 £5.03

17.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 £1.31

$1.99 £1.49

-12.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 £1.74

$1.72 £1.28

35.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 £1.75

$3.04 £2.27

-22.70%

Eggs

$5.13 £3.82

$4.42 £3.29

16.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 £6.75

$9.84 £7.34

-8.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 £6.91

$9.68 £7.21

-4.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 £12.06

$14.44 £10.76

11.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.27

$2.86 £2.13

6.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.75 £1.31

6.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$2.84 £2.12

17.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 £2.80

$3.39 £2.53

10.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.53

$1.84 £1.37

11.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.58 £1.18

-3.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 £0.99

$1.21 £0.90

9.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.41

$1.82 £1.36

3.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.87 £17.80

$21.33 £15.91

11.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 £8.17

$11.13 £8.30

-1.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 £2.35

$2.96 £2.20

6.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.40

$3.40 £2.54

-5.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 £2.34

$3.32 £2.47

-5.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 £74.4

$78.1 £58.2

27.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.07

$4.31 £3.22

26.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.95 £1.46

-2.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 £21.25

$32.03 £23.88

-11.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 £1.54

$2.16 £1.61

-4.63%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

0.08%

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

$39.7K £29.6K

$40.9K £30.5K

-2.89%

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

$329 £245

$327 £244

0.69%

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

$16.81 £12.53

$29.33 £21.87

-42.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.13 £32.15

$53.3 £39.71

-19.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 £31.19

$37.74 £28.14

10.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.33 £17.39

$16.78 £12.51

39.03%

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 £10.93

$15.96 £11.90

-8.08%

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

$1,901 £1,417

$1,886 £1,406

0.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K £19.2K

$18.3K £13.7K

40.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 £61.3

$106 £78.9

-22.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 £37.28

$51.4 £38.28

-2.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £78.8

$102 £76.3

3.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £85.9

$131 £97.5

-11.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 £1,261

$1,520 £1,133

11.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 £898

$1,190 £887

1.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,959 £2,206

$2,360 £1,760

25.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,184 £1,629

$1,812 £1,351

20.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,388 £4,762

$5,632 £4,199

13.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 £3,365

$4,849 £3,616

-6.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,632 £2,708

$3,372 £2,514

7.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

4.96

-3.83%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Last update for Southampton: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6%

Southampton

$1.2K 44.8% 1.3% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$389 14.7%

Southampton

$410 15.4% 5.2% $20

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$361 13.6%

Southampton

$384 14.5% 6.5% $23

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.6%

Southampton

$320 12.1% 3.7% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$159 6%

Southampton

$176 6.6% 10.5% $17

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$127 4.8%

Southampton

$105 4% 17.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$71 2.7%

Southampton

$70 2.6% 2.1% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,691 in Edinburgh versus $1,520 in Southampton. 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. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Edinburgh versus $90 in Southampton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $320 – making Southampton the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Southampton

🕒 Local time

19:06 7:06 PM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

228,600

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Edinburgh Southampton 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Edinburgh
Southampton

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 Southampton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,968 per month in Edinburgh and $3,982 in Southampton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Southampton, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,520 there versus $1,691 in Edinburgh.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Southampton – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Kindergarten costs $1,901 per month in Edinburgh and $1,886 in Southampton. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,645 in Edinburgh and $2,655 in Southampton. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Edinburgh costs $2,645 versus $2,655 in Southampton. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.