Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Sunderland

For one person, living is cheaper in Sunderland: $1,845 a month against $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Sunderland
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Sunderland Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,601

/mo nomad

Sunderland

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$1,845

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Sunderland

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

A single person spends $2,601 per month in Edinburgh vs $1,845 in Sunderland, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,601
Sunderland $1,845

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,755 in Sunderland, rent included.

Edinburgh $3,985
Sunderland $2,755

A family of three spends $5,369 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,665 in Sunderland, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,369
Sunderland $3,665

Edinburgh costs about 41% more than Sunderland, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Edinburgh and Sunderland sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 92%, Sunderland by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.67 £17.76

$18.54 £13.91

27.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 £81.4

$70.2 £52.7

54.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £8.04

$8.87 £6.66

20.74%

Cappuccino

$5.25 £3.94

$5.02 £3.77

4.58%

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

$2.48 £1.86

$2.32 £1.74

6.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 £1.63

$1.96 £1.47

10.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.94 £5.96

$4.63 £3.48

71.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.00 £6.00

$4.30 £3.23

86.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 £1.27

$1.44 £1.08

17.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 £1.77

$1.37 £1.03

71.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 £1.77

$2.40 £1.80

-1.67%

Eggs

$4.96 £3.72

$3.52 £2.64

40.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 £6.91

$9.72 £7.29

-5.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 £7.00

$8.99 £6.74

3.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.79 £11.85

$14.35 £10.76

10.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 £2.26

$3.26 £2.44

-7.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 £1.41

$1.85 £1.39

1.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 £2.57

$2.92 £2.19

17.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 £2.75

$3.79 £2.84

-3.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 £1.51

$1.79 £1.34

12.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 £1.16

$1.48 £1.11

4.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 £0.99

$1.20 £0.90

10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 £1.45

$1.50 £1.13

28.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.23 £17.43

$22.99 £17.25

1.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 £8.40

$10.19 £7.65

9.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 £2.34

$3.57 £2.68

-12.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.46

$3.49 £2.62

-6.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 £2.35

$2.08 £1.56

50.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.0 £72.8

$119 £89.6

-18.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 £4.08

$4.40 £3.30

23.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 £1.37

$1.55 £1.16

17.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.32 £21.25

$28.14 £21.11

0.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 £1.56

$2.09 £1.57

-0.48%

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

$38.6K £28.9K

$38.3K £28.8K

0.58%

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

$39.9K £29.9K

$40.5K £30.4K

-1.56%

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

$328 £246

$248 £186

32.36%

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

$16.47 £12.36

$16.93 £12.70

-2.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.32 £31.75

$42.31 £31.74

0.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.41 £33.32

$40.70 £30.53

9.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.05 £17.30

$12.01 £9.01

91.92%

Cinema Ticket

$14.39 £10.79

$10.66 £8.00

34.99%

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

$1,775 £1,331

$819 £614

116.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K £19.2K

$17.6K £13.2K

45.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 £60.9

$91.1 £68.4

-10.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.04 £36.79

$47.14 £35.37

4.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £81.2

$109 £81.4

-0.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £85.9

$94.7 £71.1

20.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 £1,200

$792 £594

102.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 £876

$595 £446

96.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,803 £2,103

$1,356 £1,017

106.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 £1,617

$957 £718

125.19%

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

$3,663 £2,748

-2.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

5.15

-7.38%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 17, 2026

Last update for Sunderland: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.2K 44.9%

Sunderland

$595 32.2% 49% $573

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$387 14.9%

Sunderland

$307 16.7% 20.6% $80

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$359 13.8%

Sunderland

$284 15.4% 20.8% $75

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$332 12.8%

Sunderland

$303 16.4% 8.6% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$159 6.1%

Sunderland

$154 8.3% 3.3% $5.2

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$124 4.8%

Sunderland

$140 7.6% 12.7% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$73 2.8%

Sunderland

$62 3.4% 15.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,600 in Edinburgh versus $792 in Sunderland. 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 3% higher in Sunderland, 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 $70.0 in Sunderland. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $303 – making Sunderland the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Sunderland

🕒 Local time

06:22 6:22 AM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

275,300

💱 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

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Edinburgh Sunderland 160 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 Sunderland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 41%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,902 per month in Edinburgh and $2,768 in Sunderland. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sunderland, 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 $70.0 in Sunderland. 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 $1,845 in Sunderland. That's a gap of about 41%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Sunderland, where all-in costs run around $1,845, than in Edinburgh at $2,601. In Sunderland it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sunderland – 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 Sunderland. 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.