Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and York

For one person, living is cheaper in York: $2,298 a month against $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in York
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York Living Index

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Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

York

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,298

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edinburgh and in York

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

A single person spends $2,645 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,298 in York, rent included.

Edinburgh $2,645
York $2,298

A couple spends around $4,021 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,412 in York, rent included.

Edinburgh $4,021
York $3,412

A family of three spends $5,397 per month in Edinburgh vs $4,525 in York, rent included.

Edinburgh $5,397
York $4,525

Edinburgh costs about 15% more than York, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Edinburgh and York sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 94%, York by 69%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.35 £18.19

$26.25 £19.61

-7.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 £78.7

$89.5 £66.9

17.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 £7.82

$10.78 £8.05

-2.88%

Cappuccino

$5.02 £3.75

$4.89 £3.65

2.66%

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

$2.41 £1.80

$2.81 £2.10

-14.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 £1.64

$1.76 £1.32

24.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 £6.00

$6.77 £5.06

18.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 £5.91

$6.52 £4.87

21.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 £1.31

$1.72 £1.29

1.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 £1.74

$1.51 £1.13

54.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 £1.75

$2.09 £1.56

12.44%

Eggs

$5.13 £3.83

$3.90 £2.92

31.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 £6.76

$8.96 £6.70

1.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 £6.92

$8.25 £6.16

12.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 £12.08

$9.77 £7.30

65.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.28

$3.23 £2.41

-5.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.93 £1.44

-3.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$2.38 £1.78

40.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 £2.80

$4.65 £3.48

-19.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.53

$3.08 £2.30

-33.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.57 £1.17

-2.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 £1.00

$1.53 £1.15

-13.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.41

$1.41 £1.05

34.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.87 £17.83

$23.71 £17.71

0.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 £8.19

$11.96 £8.93

-8.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 £2.36

$4.10 £3.07

-22.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.40

$4.90 £3.66

-34.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 £2.34

$3.89 £2.91

-19.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 £74.6

$113 £84.1

-11.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.07

$4.56 £3.41

19.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 £1.42

$2.59 £1.94

-26.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 £21.29

$19.28 £14.40

47.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 £1.54

$1.99 £1.49

3.52%

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

$38.2K £28.6K

0.01%

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

$39.7K £29.7K

$40.6K £30.3K

-2.08%

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

$329 £246

$202 £151

63.29%

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

$16.81 £12.56

$16.55 £12.37

1.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.13 £32.22

$48.23 £36.03

-10.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 £31.26

$46.61 £34.82

-10.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.33 £17.43

$24.63 £18.40

-5.28%

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 £10.96

$13.13 £9.81

11.73%

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

$1,901 £1,420

$1,921 £1,435

-1.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K £19.3K

$16.0K £11.9K

61.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 £61.4

$61.4 £45.90

33.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 £37.36

$37.37 £27.92

33.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £79.0

$79.4 £59.3

33.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £86.1

$78.7 £58.8

46.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 £1,263

$1,337 £999

26.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 £900

$1,028 £768

17.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,959 £2,211

$2,470 £1,845

19.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,184 £1,632

$1,632 £1,219

33.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,388 £4,772

$5,522 £4,125

15.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 £3,372

$4,099 £3,062

10.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,632 £2,713

$3,540 £2,645

2.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

5.61

-14.97%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Last update for York: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6%

York

$1K 44.7% 14.7% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edinburgh

$389 14.7%

York

$266 11.6% 31.5% $123

Eating Out

Edinburgh

$361 13.6%

York

$366 15.9% 1.5% $5.4

Groceries & Markets

Edinburgh

$333 12.6%

York

$304 13.2% 8.7% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Edinburgh

$159 6%

York

$116 5% 27.3% $43

Getting Around

Edinburgh

$127 4.8%

York

$146 6.3% 14.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Edinburgh

$71 2.7%

York

$73 3.2% 2.4% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,691 in Edinburgh versus $1,337 in York. 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 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 $105 in Edinburgh versus $89 in York. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $304 – making York the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🇬🇧 York

🕒 Local time

19:46 7:46 PM

Same time as Edinburgh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

488,050

137,000

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 York: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,968 per month in Edinburgh and $3,447 in York. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in York, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,337 there versus $1,691 in Edinburgh.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Edinburgh and $89 in York. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,645 in Edinburgh and $2,298 in York. That makes York about 13% cheaper.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,645 in Edinburgh and $2,298 in York. 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 $2,298 in York to $2,645 in Edinburgh. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with York. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Edinburgh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.