Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Windsor

For one person, living is cheaper in Windsor: $2,154 a month against $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,601
/mo nomad
Windsor
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,154
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in Windsor

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

A single person spends $2,601 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,154 in Windsor, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $2,601
  • Windsor $2,154

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,520 in Windsor, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $3,985
  • Windsor $3,520

A family of three spends $5,369 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,886 in Windsor, rent included.

  • Edinburgh $5,369
  • Windsor $4,886

Edinburgh costs about 21% more than Windsor, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Edinburgh and Windsor sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 92%, Windsor by 59%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Edinburgh
Windsor
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.67 £17.76
$21.39 £16.04
10.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$108 £81.4
$93.5 £70.2
15.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 £8.04
$10.59 £7.94
1.13%
Cappuccino
$5.25 £3.94
$4.78 £3.59
9.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 £1.86
$2.64 £1.98
-6.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 £1.63
$1.82 £1.37
19.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.94 £5.96
$5.99 £4.49
32.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.00 £6.00
$5.42 £4.06
47.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
Windsor
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 £1.27
$1.42 £1.06
19.01%
White Bread (500g)
$2.35 £1.77
$1.32 £0.99
78.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.36 £1.77
$1.62 £1.21
45.68%
Eggs
$4.96 £3.72
$2.97 £2.22
67.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.20 £6.91
$9.19 £6.90
0.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.33 £7.00
$7.81 £5.86
19.46%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.79 £11.85
$14.85 £11.14
6.33%
Apples (1kg)
$3.01 £2.26
$3.11 £2.34
-3.22%
Banana (1kg)
$1.88 £1.41
$1.46 £1.09
28.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.42 £2.57
$2.71 £2.03
26.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.67 £2.75
$3.17 £2.38
15.77%
Potato (1kg)
$2.01 £1.51
$1.60 £1.20
25.62%
Onion (1kg)
$1.55 £1.16
$1.47 £1.10
5.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.32 £0.99
$1.67 £1.25
-20.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 £1.45
$1.47 £1.10
31.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.23 £17.43
$23.48 £17.62
-1.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.20 £8.40
$10.97 £8.23
2.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.12 £2.34
$2.65 £1.99
17.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27 £2.46
$3.70 £2.78
-11.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Edinburgh
Windsor
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 £2.35
$3.38 £2.54
-7.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$97.0 £72.8
$97.0 £72.7
0.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.43 £4.08
$5.83 £4.37
-6.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.82 £1.37
$1.35 £1.01
34.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.32 £21.25
$21.36 £16.03
32.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.08 £1.56
$1.83 £1.37
13.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.6K £28.9K
$36.9K £27.6K
4.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.9K £29.9K
$40.8K £30.6K
-2.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
Windsor
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$328 £246
$157 £118
109.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.47 £12.36
$24.75 £18.57
-33.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.32 £31.75
$32.89 £24.68
28.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
Windsor
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.41 £33.32
$45.06 £33.81
-1.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.05 £17.30
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.39 £10.79
$21.43 £16.08
-32.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Edinburgh
Windsor
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,775 £1,331
$1,037 £778
71.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K £19.2K
$23.4K £17.6K
9.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
Windsor
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$81.2 £60.9
$69.7 £52.3
16.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.04 £36.79
$31.89 £23.92
53.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 £81.2
$77.3 £58.0
40.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 £85.9
$51.4 £38.58
122.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
Windsor
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,600 £1,200
$1,231 £924
29.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,168 £876
$1,024 £768
14.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,803 £2,103
$2,120 £1,591
32.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,155 £1,617
$2,225 £1,669
-3.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,714 £5,037
$4,961 £3,722
35.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,715 £3,538
$3,791 £2,844
24.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Edinburgh
Windsor
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,558 £2,669
$3,242 £2,432
9.74%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
4.91
-2.85%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 17, 2026

Last update for Windsor: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Edinburgh
$1.2K
Windsor
$1K 12.3% $144
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Edinburgh
$387
Windsor
$214 44.6% $173
Eating Out
Edinburgh
$359
Windsor
$319 11.1% $40
Groceries & Markets
Edinburgh
$332
Windsor
$283 14.8% $49
Clothing & Footwear
Edinburgh
$159
Windsor
$104 34.8% $55
Getting Around
Edinburgh
$124
Windsor
$123 0.8% $1
Sport & Entertainment
Edinburgh
$73
Windsor
$88 20.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,600 in Edinburgh versus $1,231 in Windsor. 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 10% 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 $108 in Edinburgh versus $94.0 in Windsor. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $283 – making Windsor the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🇬🇧 Windsor
🕒 Local time
17:57 5:57 PM
17:57 5:57 PM
Same time as Edinburgh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
488,050
31,225
💱 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 Windsor 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Edinburgh
  • Windsor

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 Windsor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Windsor cheaper than Edinburgh?
Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,902 per month in Edinburgh and $3,231 in Windsor. 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 Windsor, 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 Windsor?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Edinburgh and $94.0 in Windsor. 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 Windsor?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,601 in Edinburgh and $2,154 in Windsor. That's a gap of about 21%.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Edinburgh or in Windsor?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Windsor, where all-in costs run around $2,154, than in Edinburgh at $2,601. In Windsor it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Edinburgh or Windsor more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Windsor – 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 Windsor?
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 Windsor. 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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