Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Southwark

For one person, living is cheaper in Southwark: $1,486 a month against $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Edinburgh outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

127

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Southwark
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Southwark Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,601

/mo nomad

Southwark

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$1,486

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Southwark

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

A single person spends $2,601 per month in Edinburgh vs $1,486 in Southwark, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,601
Southwark $1,486

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,262 in Southwark, rent included.

Edinburgh $3,985
Southwark $4,262

A family of three spends $5,369 per month in Edinburgh vs $7,038 in Southwark, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,369
Southwark $7,038

Edinburgh costs about 75% more than Southwark, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Edinburgh and Southwark sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 92%, Southwark by 10%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.67 £17.76

$25.00 £18.76

-5.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 £81.4

$101 £75.6

7.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £8.04

$10.67 £8.00

0.37%

Cappuccino

$5.25 £3.94

$5.70 £4.28

-7.89%

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

$2.48 £1.86

$3.05 £2.29

-18.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 £1.63

$2.60 £1.95

-16.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.94 £5.96

$9.29 £6.97

-14.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.00 £6.00

$8.28 £6.21

-3.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 £1.27

$1.92 £1.44

-11.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 £1.77

$2.05 £1.54

14.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 £1.77

$2.20 £1.65

7.27%

Eggs

$4.96 £3.72

$4.38 £3.29

13.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 £6.91

$11.90 £8.93

-22.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 £7.00

$9.07 £6.80

2.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.79 £11.85

$15.57 £11.68

1.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 £2.26

$3.05 £2.29

-1.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 £1.41

$1.44 £1.08

30.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 £2.57

$2.98 £2.24

14.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 £2.75

$3.52 £2.64

4.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 £1.51

$1.66 £1.25

21.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 £1.16

$1.79 £1.34

-13.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 £0.99

$1.36 £1.02

-2.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 £1.45

$1.86 £1.39

3.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.23 £17.43

$23.44 £17.59

-0.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 £8.40

$12.16 £9.12

-7.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 £2.34

$3.05 £2.29

2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.46

$3.22 £2.42

1.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 £2.35

$3.89 £2.92

-19.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.0 £72.8

$157 £118

-38.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 £4.08

$4.97 £3.73

9.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 £1.37

$2.72 £2.04

-33.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.32 £21.25

$39.66 £29.75

-28.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 £1.56

$2.15 £1.62

-3.26%

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

$38.6K £28.9K

$37.9K £28.4K

1.88%

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

$39.9K £29.9K

$39.9K £30.0K

-0.22%

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

$328 £246

$335 £251

-1.94%

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

$16.47 £12.36

$18.37 £13.78

-10.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.32 £31.75

$40.35 £30.27

4.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.41 £33.32

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.05 £17.30

Cinema Ticket

$14.39 £10.79

$18.05 £13.54

-20.28%

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

$1,775 £1,331

$2,557 £1,919

-30.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K £19.2K

$30.4K £22.8K

-15.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 £60.9

$93.1 £69.9

-12.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.04 £36.79

$46.53 £34.91

5.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £81.2

$103 £77.5

4.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £85.9

$90.0 £67.5

27.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 £1,200

$2,307 £1,731

-30.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 £876

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,803 £2,103

$5,586 £4,190

-49.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 £1,617

$3,792 £2,844

-43.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,714 £5,037

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,715 £3,538

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,558 £2,669

$4,185 £3,140

-14.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

5.12

-6.84%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 17, 2026

Last update for Southwark: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.2K 44.9%

Southwark

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$387 14.9%

Southwark

$393 26.5% 1.7% $6.4

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$359 13.8%

Southwark

$386 26% 7.6% $27

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$332 12.8%

Southwark

$329 22.2% 0.7% $2.3

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$159 6.1%

Southwark

$150 10.1% 5.7% $9.1

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$124 4.8%

Southwark

$191 12.9% 53.9% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$73 2.8%

Southwark

$36 * 2.4% 50.7% $37

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,600 in Edinburgh versus $2,307 in Southwark. 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 18% higher in Southwark, 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 $108 in Edinburgh versus $101 in Southwark. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $329 – making Southwark the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Southwark

🕒 Local time

23:06 11:06 PM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

71,552

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Edinburgh Southwark 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Edinburgh
Southwark

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 Southwark: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 75%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,902 per month in Edinburgh and $2,229 in Southwark. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Southwark, 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 $108 in Edinburgh and $101 in Southwark. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,601 in Edinburgh and $1,486 in Southwark. That's a gap of about 75%.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,601 in Edinburgh and $1,486 in Southwark. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Southwark – 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 Southwark. 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.