Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Wallingford

For one person, living is cheaper in Wallingford: $2,387 a month against $2,617 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Edinburgh outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,617
/mo nomad
Wallingford
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,387
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Wallingford

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

A single person spends $2,617 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,387 in Wallingford, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $2,617
  • Wallingford $2,387

A couple spends around $3,956 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,565 in Wallingford, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $3,956
  • Wallingford $3,565

A family of three spends $5,295 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,743 in Wallingford, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $5,295
  • Wallingford $4,743

Edinburgh costs about 10% more than Wallingford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Edinburgh and Wallingford sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 94%, Wallingford by 77%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Edinburgh
Wallingford
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.64 £17.73
$26.00 £19.51
-9.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$104 £78.2
$92.4 £69.3
12.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.48 £7.86
$10.11 £7.58
3.66%
Cappuccino
$5.08 £3.81
$4.76 £3.57
6.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 £1.87
$2.93 £2.20
-14.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 £1.61
$2.09 £1.57
2.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.06 £6.04
$8.64 £6.48
-6.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.13 £6.10
$7.45 £5.59
9.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
Wallingford
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 £1.26
$1.56 £1.17
7.69%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 £1.71
$2.06 £1.54
11.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.25 £1.69
$2.32 £1.74
-3.02%
Eggs
$5.05 £3.79
$3.62 £2.72
39.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.05 £6.79
$11.29 £8.47
-19.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.49 £7.12
$9.49 £7.12
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.12 £12.10
$15.60 £11.70
3.33%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 £2.29
$3.04 £2.28
0.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.93 £1.45
$1.35 £1.01
42.96%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.36 £2.52
$2.83 £2.12
18.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.68 £2.76
$3.15 £2.37
16.83%
Potato (1kg)
$2.07 £1.55
$1.58 £1.19
31.01%
Onion (1kg)
$1.54 £1.16
$1.73 £1.30
-10.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 £0.94
$1.42 £1.07
-11.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 £1.45
$1.86 £1.39
4.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.67 £17.76
$23.13 £17.35
2.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.13 £8.35
$13.26 £9.95
-16.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.22 £2.42
$2.98 £2.24
8.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.19 £2.40
$3.50 £2.63
-8.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Edinburgh
Wallingford
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.20 £2.40
$3.45 £2.59
-7.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$96.7 £72.6
$94.8 £71.1
2.08%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.18 £3.89
$6.72 £5.04
-22.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.86 £1.40
$3.31 £2.48
-43.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.69 £21.52
$25.50 £19.13
12.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.14 £1.60
$2.06 £1.54
3.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.6K £29.0K
$37.7K £28.3K
2.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.2K £30.9K
$39.9K £30.0K
3.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
Wallingford
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$330 £248
$275 £206
20.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.39 £12.30
$17.77 £13.33
-7.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.15 £31.63
$40.32 £30.25
4.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
Wallingford
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.13 £33.11
$46.24 £34.69
-4.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.04 £17.28
$15.14 £11.36
52.18%
Cinema Ticket
$14.30 £10.73
$13.12 £9.84
8.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Edinburgh
Wallingford
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,759 £1,319
$1,777 £1,333
-1.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.4K £19.0K
$29.0K £21.8K
-12.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
Wallingford
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.6 £60.4
$76.3 £57.3
5.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.45 £37.10
$54.3 £40.73
-8.92%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 £79.2
$113 £84.6
-6.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 £86.0
$106 £79.7
7.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
Wallingford
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,611 £1,209
$1,234 £926
30.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,185 £889
$996 £747
18.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,738 £2,054
$2,101 £1,576
30.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,106 £1,580
$1,653 £1,240
27.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,632 £4,976
$5,096 £3,823
30.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,609 £3,458
$3,800 £2,851
21.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Edinburgh
Wallingford
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,522 £2,642
$2,520 £1,891
39.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
4.65
2.58%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 11, 2026

Last update for Wallingford: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
$1.2K
Wallingford
$996 16% $189
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
$389
Wallingford
$333 14.3% $56
Eating Out
Edinburgh
$357
Wallingford
$374 4.8% $17
Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
$333
Wallingford
$323 2.9% $9.7
Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
$158
Wallingford
$157 0.2% $0.3
Getting Around
Edinburgh
$124
Wallingford
$132 6.3% $7.8
Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
$73
Wallingford
$72 0.3% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,611 in Edinburgh versus $1,234 in Wallingford. 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 40% 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 $104 in Edinburgh versus $92.0 in Wallingford. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $323 – making Wallingford the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🇬🇧 Wallingford
🕒 Local time
10:16 10:16 AM
10:16 10:16 AM
Same time as Edinburgh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
488,050
11,600
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Edinburgh Wallingford 500 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Edinburgh
  • Wallingford

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 Wallingford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wallingford cheaper than Edinburgh?
Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,925 per month in Edinburgh and $3,581 in Wallingford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Wallingford, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Edinburgh or in Wallingford?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $104 in Edinburgh and $92.0 in Wallingford. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Edinburgh and in Wallingford?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,617 in Edinburgh and $2,387 in Wallingford. That's a gap of about 10%.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Edinburgh or in Wallingford?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Wallingford, where all-in costs run around $2,387, than in Edinburgh at $2,617. In Wallingford it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Edinburgh or Wallingford more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Wallingford – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Edinburgh or Wallingford?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Wallingford. 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.

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