Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Exeter and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Exeter: $2,571 a month against $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $890 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Exeter
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Exeter Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index

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Exeter

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,571

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Exeter 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 Exeter and in Edinburgh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,571 per month in Exeter vs $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Exeter $2,571
Edinburgh $2,645

A couple spends around $3,846 per month in Exeter vs $4,021 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Exeter $3,846
Edinburgh $4,021

A family of three spends $5,121 per month in Exeter vs $5,397 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Exeter $5,121
Edinburgh $5,397

Exeter is about 3% cheaper than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Exeter and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Exeter by 89%, Edinburgh by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 £14.88

$24.35 £18.18

-18.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.8 £73.1

$105 £78.6

-7.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.57 £7.15

$10.47 £7.81

-8.60%

Cappuccino

$4.96 £3.70

$5.02 £3.75

-1.20%

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

$3.17 £2.36

$2.41 £1.80

31.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 £1.87

$2.19 £1.64

14.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.45 £5.57

$8.04 £6.00

-7.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 £4.60

$7.91 £5.91

-22.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 £1.14

$1.75 £1.31

-13.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 £1.25

$2.33 £1.74

-27.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 £1.33

$2.35 £1.75

-24.26%

Eggs

$4.30 £3.21

$5.13 £3.83

-16.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.70 £6.50

$9.05 £6.76

-3.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.71 £6.51

$9.26 £6.92

-5.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.73 £17.72

$16.17 £12.08

46.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 £2.33

$3.05 £2.28

2.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 £1.06

$1.87 £1.40

-23.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 £1.73

$3.35 £2.50

-30.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 £2.38

$3.75 £2.80

-14.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 £1.70

$2.05 £1.53

10.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.53 £1.14

28.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 £1.20

$1.33 £1.00

21.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.89 £1.41

3.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.49 £17.54

$23.87 £17.82

-1.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.54 £7.12

$10.96 £8.18

-12.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.74 £2.79

$3.16 £2.36

18.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 £3.30

$3.22 £2.40

37.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 £2.93

$3.13 £2.34

25.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 £83.6

$99.8 £74.5

12.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.75 £4.29

$5.45 £4.07

5.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 £1.89

$1.90 £1.42

33.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.92 £17.86

$28.50 £21.28

-16.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 £1.53

$2.06 £1.54

-0.97%

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

$38.7K £28.9K

$38.2K £28.5K

1.21%

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

$40.1K £30.0K

$39.7K £29.7K

1.09%

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

$469 £350

$329 £246

42.34%

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

$15.97 £11.93

$16.81 £12.55

-5.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.00 £35.09

$43.13 £32.20

8.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.72 £29.66

$41.84 £31.24

-5.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.18 £9.84

$23.33 £17.42

-43.51%

Cinema Ticket

$12.62 £9.42

$14.67 £10.95

-13.97%

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

$2,180 £1,628

$1,901 £1,419

14.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K £13.2K

$25.8K £19.2K

-31.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 £50.8

$82.2 £61.4

-17.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.16 £23.26

$50.0 £37.34

-37.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 £78.7

$106 £78.9

-0.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.2 £55.4

$115 £86.0

-35.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,381 £1,031

$1,691 £1,263

-18.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,050 £784

$1,205 £900

-12.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,160 £1,613

$2,959 £2,209

-27.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,946 £1,453

$2,184 £1,631

-10.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,743 £4,288

$6,388 £4,769

-10.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,565 £3,409

$4,514 £3,370

1.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,062 £2,286

$3,632 £2,712

-15.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.11

4.77

7.13%

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

Last update for Exeter: October 25, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Exeter

$1K 40.8%

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6% 14.8% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Exeter

$532 20.7%

Edinburgh

$389 14.7% 26.8% $142

Groceries & Markets

Exeter

$334 13%

Edinburgh

$333 12.6% 0.3% $1.1

Eating Out

Exeter

$320 12.4%

Edinburgh

$361 13.6% 12.8% $41

Getting Around

Exeter

$146 5.7%

Edinburgh

$127 4.8% 12.8% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Exeter

$125 4.9%

Edinburgh

$159 6% 26.6% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Exeter

$65 2.5%

Edinburgh

$71 2.7% 9.6% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,381 in Exeter versus $1,691 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 19% higher in Edinburgh. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98 in Exeter versus $105 in Edinburgh. Groceries tell a different story – $334 in Exeter vs $333 in Edinburgh – so Edinburgh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Exeter

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

15:02 3:02 PM

Same time as Exeter

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

130,800

488,050

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Exeter Edinburgh 580 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Exeter
Edinburgh

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

Exeter vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,857 per month in Exeter and $3,968 in Edinburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Exeter, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,381 there versus $1,691 in Edinburgh.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,571 in Exeter and $2,645 in Edinburgh. That makes Exeter about 3% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,180 per month in Exeter and $1,901 in Edinburgh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,571 in Exeter and $2,645 in Edinburgh, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,571 in Exeter 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 Exeter. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Edinburgh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.