Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Toronto Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Toronto

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,691 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,628 in Toronto, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,039 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,848 in Toronto, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,386 per month in Edinburgh vs $5,067 in Toronto, rent included.

Edinburgh costs about 2% more than Toronto, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Edinburgh and Toronto sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 96%, Toronto by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.27 £18.00

$17.88 CA$24.76

35.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 £81.2

$87.9 CA$122

24.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 £8.09

$10.93 CA$15.14

-0.18%

Cappuccino

$5.18 £3.84

$4.06 CA$5.62

27.59%

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

$2.53 £1.88

$2.18 CA$3.02

16.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 £1.61

$1.70 CA$2.35

27.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.19 £6.07

$6.69 CA$9.26

22.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.12 £6.02

$7.35 CA$10.17

10.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 £1.30

$2.78 CA$3.85

-36.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 £1.73

$2.89 CA$4.00

-19.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 £1.73

$2.56 CA$3.55

-8.98%

Eggs

$5.09 £3.77

$3.79 CA$5.25

34.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.30 £6.90

$10.17 CA$14.08

-8.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 £7.08

$11.95 CA$16.55

-20.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.99 £11.86

$16.12 CA$22.32

-0.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 £2.23

$3.89 CA$5.39

-22.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 £1.33

$1.27 CA$1.76

40.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 £2.57

$3.88 CA$5.37

-10.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 £2.62

$4.33 CA$5.99

-18.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 £1.62

$1.83 CA$2.53

19.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 £1.13

$1.50 CA$2.07

1.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 £0.94

$2.28 CA$3.15

-44.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.44 CA$1.99

32.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.28 £18.01

$14.20 CA$19.66

70.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 £8.38

$14.24 CA$19.72

-20.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 £2.24

$2.25 CA$3.11

34.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.35

$2.53 CA$3.50

25.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 £2.19

$2.47 CA$3.42

19.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 £74.8

$112 CA$155

-9.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.04

$3.05 CA$4.22

78.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.24 CA$1.71

57.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.94 £21.47

$22.44 CA$31.07

28.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 £1.52

$1.24 CA$1.71

65.32%

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

$39.3K £29.1K

$27.5K CA$38.1K

42.69%

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

$41.4K £30.7K

$21.1K CA$29.3K

95.87%

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

$343 £254

$128 CA$177

168.78%

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

$17.03 £12.63

$33.79 CA$46.78

-49.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.01 £31.90

$49.25 CA$68.2

-12.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.96 £35.57

$40.93 CA$56.7

17.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.68 £17.56

$24.62 CA$34.09

-3.82%

Cinema Ticket

$15.04 £11.16

$13.16 CA$18.22

14.29%

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

$1,824 £1,353

$792 CA$1,097

130.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.5K £18.9K

$24.1K CA$33.4K

5.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.8 £63.6

$54.5 CA$75.5

57.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 £37.30

$43.11 CA$59.7

16.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £79.8

$102 CA$141

5.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 £87.9

$123 CA$171

-3.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 £1,220

$1,653 CA$2,289

-0.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 £912

$1,452 CA$2,010

-15.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,844 £2,110

$2,694 CA$3,731

5.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,187 £1,622

$2,149 CA$2,976

1.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,732 £4,993

$8,347 CA$11.6K

-19.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,734 £3,511

$6,816 CA$9,437

-30.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,581 £2,656

$3,614 CA$5,004

-0.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.78

4.49

6.46%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: September 1, 2026

Last update for Toronto: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,644 in Edinburgh versus $1,653 in Toronto. 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 1% higher in Toronto, 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 $109 in Edinburgh versus $88.0 in Toronto. Groceries tell a different story – $333 in Edinburgh vs $365 in Toronto – so Edinburgh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 2%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,037 per month in Edinburgh and $3,942 in Toronto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Toronto, 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 $109 in Edinburgh and $88.0 in Toronto. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,691 in Edinburgh and $2,628 in Toronto. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,691 in Edinburgh and $2,628 in Toronto. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Toronto – 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 Toronto. 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.