Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Stirling

For one person, living is cheaper in Stirling: $2,133 a month against $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Stirling
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Stirling Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

Stirling

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,133

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Stirling

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

A single person spends $2,645 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,133 in Stirling, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,645
Stirling $2,133

A couple spends around $4,021 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,249 in Stirling, rent included.

Edinburgh $4,021
Stirling $3,249

A family of three spends $5,397 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,365 in Stirling, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,397
Stirling $4,365

Edinburgh costs about 24% more than Stirling, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Edinburgh and Stirling sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 94%, Stirling by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.35 £18.19

$20.26 £15.14

20.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 £78.7

$93.5 £69.9

12.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 £7.82

$10.62 £7.93

-1.41%

Cappuccino

$5.02 £3.75

$4.68 £3.49

7.26%

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

$2.41 £1.80

$2.45 £1.83

-1.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 £1.64

$1.83 £1.36

19.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 £6.00

$6.13 £4.58

31.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 £5.91

$4.56 £3.41

73.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 £1.31

$1.37 £1.02

27.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 £1.74

$1.36 £1.02

71.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 £1.75

$1.89 £1.41

24.34%

Eggs

$5.13 £3.83

$3.72 £2.78

37.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 £6.76

$8.72 £6.51

3.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 £6.92

$7.72 £5.77

19.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 £12.08

$6.58 £4.91

145.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.28

$2.96 £2.21

3.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.34 £1.00

39.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$2.85 £2.13

17.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 £2.80

$2.66 £1.99

40.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.53

$1.65 £1.23

24.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.50 £1.12

2.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 £1.00

$1.01 £0.75

31.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.41

$1.49 £1.11

26.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.87 £17.83

$22.67 £16.93

5.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 £8.19

$11.07 £8.27

-0.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 £2.36

$2.72 £2.03

16.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.40

$2.93 £2.19

9.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 £2.34

$6.25 £4.67

-49.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 £74.6

$75.9 £56.7

31.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.07

$3.91 £2.92

39.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 £1.42

$2.42 £1.81

-21.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 £21.29

$23.97 £17.91

18.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 £1.54

$2.07 £1.55

-0.48%

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

$38.2K £28.6K

$38.7K £28.9K

-1.21%

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

$39.7K £29.7K

$40.0K £29.9K

-0.69%

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

$329 £246

$284 £212

15.82%

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

$16.81 £12.56

$15.62 £11.67

7.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.13 £32.22

$40.24 £30.06

7.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 £31.26

$31.94 £23.86

31.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.33 £17.43

$16.97 £12.68

37.48%

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 £10.96

$9.29 £6.94

57.91%

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

$1,901 £1,420

$1,875 £1,401

1.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K £19.3K

$23.3K £17.4K

10.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 £61.4

$98.5 £73.6

-16.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 £37.36

$36.77 £27.47

35.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £79.0

$92.6 £69.2

14.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £86.1

$54.3 £40.58

112.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 £1,263

$1,028 £768

64.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 £900

$938 £701

28.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,959 £2,211

$2,350 £1,756

25.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,184 £1,632

$1,700 £1,270

28.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,388 £4,772

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 £3,372

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,632 £2,713

$3,505 £2,618

3.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

5.11

-6.65%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Last update for Stirling: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6%

Stirling

$938 44% 22.1% $267

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$389 14.7%

Stirling

$340 16% 12.6% $49

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$361 13.6%

Stirling

$307 14.4% 14.9% $54

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.6%

Stirling

$253 11.9% 23.9% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$159 6%

Stirling

$127 6% 20.1% $32

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$127 4.8%

Stirling

$117 5.5% 8.2% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$71 2.7%

Stirling

$51 2.4% 29% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,691 in Edinburgh versus $1,028 in Stirling. 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 4% 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 $105 in Edinburgh versus $94 in Stirling. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $253 – making Stirling the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Stirling

🕒 Local time

10:39 10:39 AM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

37,800

💱 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

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Edinburgh Stirling 50 km

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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 Stirling: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,968 per month in Edinburgh and $3,199 in Stirling. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Stirling, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,028 there versus $1,691 in Edinburgh.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Edinburgh and $94 in Stirling. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,645 in Edinburgh and $2,133 in Stirling. That makes Stirling about 19% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Stirling, where all-in costs run around $2,133, than in Edinburgh at $2,645. In Stirling it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,133 in Stirling to $2,645 in Edinburgh. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Stirling. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Edinburgh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.