Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ely, Cambridgeshire and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Ely, Cambridgeshire: $2,360 a month against $2,724 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Ely, Cambridgeshire
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Ely, Cambridgeshire Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index

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Ely, Cambridgeshire

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,360

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,724

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ely, Cambridgeshire and in Edinburgh

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ely, Cambridgeshire and in Edinburgh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,360 per month in Ely, Cambridgeshire vs $2,724 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Ely, Cambridgeshire $2,360
Edinburgh $2,724

A couple spends around $3,574 per month in Ely, Cambridgeshire vs $4,109 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Ely, Cambridgeshire $3,574
Edinburgh $4,109

A family of three spends $4,789 per month in Ely, Cambridgeshire vs $5,494 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Ely, Cambridgeshire $4,789
Edinburgh $5,494

Ely, Cambridgeshire is about 13% cheaper than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Ely, Cambridgeshire and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Ely, Cambridgeshire by 75%, Edinburgh by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.91 £17.85

$24.24 £18.10

-1.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.0 £70.9

$108 £80.8

-12.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.26 £9.90

$10.67 £7.97

24.27%

Cappuccino

$5.34 £3.98

$5.10 £3.80

4.71%

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

$2.40 £1.79

$2.48 £1.85

-3.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 £1.26

$2.24 £1.67

-24.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.25 £3.92

$7.82 £5.84

-32.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 £2.53

$8.14 £6.07

-58.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 £0.90

$1.74 £1.30

-31.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 £1.19

$2.32 £1.74

-31.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 £2.05

$2.34 £1.75

17.09%

Eggs

$3.51 £2.62

$4.90 £3.66

-28.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.78 £8.05

$9.37 £6.99

15.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.58 £8.65

$9.62 £7.18

20.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.28 £12.90

$15.82 £11.81

9.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 £3.01

$3.09 £2.31

30.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.91 £1.43

-28.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 £1.98

$3.27 £2.44

-18.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 £3.35

$3.57 £2.67

25.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 £1.24

$1.99 £1.49

-16.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.57 £1.17

0.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.87

$1.29 £0.96

-10.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 £1.12

$1.93 £1.44

-22.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.53 £16.08

$24.15 £18.03

-10.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 £7.99

$10.82 £8.08

-1.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 £1.59

$3.18 £2.37

-33.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 £2.11

$3.27 £2.44

-13.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.83 £4.35

$3.29 £2.45

77.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.7 £43.07

$101 £75.2

-42.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 £3.33

$5.29 £3.95

-15.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 £1.71

$2.43 £1.81

-5.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.91 £35.02

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 £1.61

$2.21 £1.65

-2.26%

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

$40.7K £30.4K

$38.5K £28.8K

5.59%

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

$41.2K £30.8K

$40.5K £30.2K

1.77%

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

$284 £212

$335 £250

-15.32%

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

$16.89 £12.61

$16.31 £12.17

3.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.61 £25.09

$40.88 £30.52

-17.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.40 £33.15

$42.45 £31.69

4.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 £11.92

$24.02 £17.93

-33.56%

Cinema Ticket

$15.90 £11.87

$15.02 £11.21

5.86%

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

$1,747 £1,304

$1,869 £1,395

-6.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K £11.0K

$26.0K £19.4K

-43.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.0 £72.4

$83.9 £62.6

15.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 £41.84

$47.78 £35.67

17.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 £93.0

$108 £80.8

15.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 £77.1

$119 £88.9

-13.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 £862

$1,673 £1,249

-30.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 £755

$1,273 £950

-20.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,895 £1,414

$3,012 £2,248

-37.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 £1,306

$2,247 £1,677

-22.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,812 £4,339

$6,479 £4,837

-10.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,135 £3,833

$4,429 £3,306

15.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,333 £2,488

$3,796 £2,834

-12.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.62

4.77

-3.14%

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

Last update for Ely, Cambridgeshire: October 31, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$1K 42.9%

Edinburgh

$1.3K 46.7% 25.8% $261

Eating Out

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$345 14.6%

Edinburgh

$361 13.3% 4.9% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$334 14.2%

Edinburgh

$392 14.4% 17.4% $58

Groceries & Markets

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$325 13.8%

Edinburgh

$333 12.2% 2.4% $7.7

Clothing & Footwear

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$171 7.3%

Edinburgh

$162 5.9% 5.7% $9.8

Getting Around

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$97 4.1%

Edinburgh

$131 4.8% 35.4% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Ely, Cambridgeshire

$76 3.2%

Edinburgh

$72 2.7% 4.9% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,155 in Ely, Cambridgeshire versus $1,673 in Edinburgh. 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 14% 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 $95 in Ely, Cambridgeshire versus $108 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $333 – making Ely, Cambridgeshire the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Ely, Cambridgeshire

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

13:17 1:17 PM

Same time as Ely, Cambridgeshire

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,574

488,050

💱 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

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Between locations

Ely, Cambridgeshire Edinburgh 460 km

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Ely, Cambridgeshire
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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

Ely, Cambridgeshire vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,540 per month in Ely, Cambridgeshire and $4,086 in Edinburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ely, Cambridgeshire, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,155 there versus $1,673 in Edinburgh.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,360 in Ely, Cambridgeshire and $2,724 in Edinburgh. That makes Ely, Cambridgeshire about 13% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,747 per month in Ely, Cambridgeshire and $1,869 in Edinburgh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Ely, Cambridgeshire – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Ely, Cambridgeshire. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Edinburgh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.