Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Swindon

For one person, living is cheaper in Edinburgh: $2,645 a month against $2,768 in Swindon, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Swindon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in Swindon
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Swindon Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

Swindon

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,768

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Swindon

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

A single person spends $2,645 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,768 in Swindon, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,645
Swindon $2,768

A couple spends around $4,021 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,814 in Swindon, rent included.

Edinburgh $4,021
Swindon $3,814

A family of three spends $5,397 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,861 in Swindon, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,397
Swindon $4,861

Edinburgh is about 4% cheaper than Swindon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Edinburgh and Swindon sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 94%, Swindon by 103%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.35 £18.19

$20.27 £15.14

20.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 £78.7

$63.0 £47.07

67.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 £7.82

$10.72 £8.01

-2.33%

Cappuccino

$5.02 £3.75

$4.79 £3.58

4.80%

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

$2.41 £1.80

$3.12 £2.33

-22.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 £1.64

$1.60 £1.20

36.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 £6.00

$5.72 £4.27

40.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 £5.91

$4.62 £3.45

71.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 £1.31

$1.67 £1.25

4.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 £1.74

$1.96 £1.46

18.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 £1.75

$1.87 £1.40

25.67%

Eggs

$5.13 £3.83

$4.49 £3.35

14.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 £6.76

$9.48 £7.08

-4.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 £6.92

$9.18 £6.86

0.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 £12.08

$14.45 £10.80

11.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.28

$3.11 £2.32

-1.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 £1.40

$2.47 £1.84

-24.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$4.08 £3.05

-17.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 £2.80

$4.24 £3.17

-11.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.53

$2.02 £1.51

1.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.73 £1.30

-11.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 £1.00

$1.97 £1.47

-32.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.41

$1.72 £1.28

9.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.87 £17.83

$23.34 £17.44

2.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 £8.19

$15.27 £11.41

-28.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 £2.36

$3.86 £2.88

-18.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.40

$3.82 £2.86

-15.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 £2.34

$4.09 £3.06

-23.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 £74.6

$98.9 £73.9

0.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.07

$6.79 £5.07

-19.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.69 £1.26

12.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 £21.29

$21.54 £16.09

32.31%

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 £28.6K

$39.0K £29.2K

-2.04%

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

$39.7K £29.7K

$40.8K £30.5K

-2.69%

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

$329 £246

$636 £475

-48.23%

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

$16.81 £12.56

$16.23 £12.12

3.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.13 £32.22

$44.50 £33.25

-3.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 £31.26

$34.18 £25.54

22.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.33 £17.43

$23.11 £17.26

0.95%

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 £10.96

$17.61 £13.16

-16.70%

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

$1,901 £1,420

$1,966 £1,469

-3.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K £19.3K

$5,376 £4,016

379.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 £61.4

$89.0 £66.5

-7.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 £37.36

$43.92 £32.81

13.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £79.0

$81.8 £61.1

29.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £86.1

$85.5 £63.9

34.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 £1,263

$1,262 £943

33.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 £900

$1,085 £811

11.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,959 £2,211

$2,027 £1,515

45.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,184 £1,632

$1,698 £1,268

28.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,388 £4,772

$5,289 £3,951

20.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 £3,372

$3,741 £2,795

20.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,632 £2,713

$2,969 £2,218

22.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

5.59

-14.67%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Last update for Swindon: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6%

Swindon

$1.1K 39.2% 10% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$389 14.7%

Swindon

$697 25.2% 79% $307

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$361 13.6%

Swindon

$309 11.2% 14.5% $52

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.6%

Swindon

$343 12.4% 3% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$159 6%

Swindon

$135 4.9% 15% $24

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$127 4.8%

Swindon

$131 4.7% 2.5% $3.2

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$71 2.7%

Swindon

$69 2.5% 2.5% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,691 in Edinburgh versus $1,262 in Swindon. 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 22% 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 $63 in Swindon. Groceries tell a different story – $333 in Edinburgh vs $343 in Swindon – so Edinburgh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 Swindon

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

183,638

💱 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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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 Swindon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Swindon is pricier by about 5%, 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 $4,152 in Swindon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Swindon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,262 there versus $1,691 in Edinburgh.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,645 in Edinburgh and $2,768 in Swindon. That makes Edinburgh about 4% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,901 per month in Edinburgh and $1,966 in Swindon. 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 $2,768 in Swindon. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,645 in Edinburgh to $2,768 in Swindon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.