Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Farnborough and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Farnborough: $2,337 a month against $2,617 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Farnborough
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,337
/mo nomad
Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,617
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,337 per month in Farnborough vs $2,617 in Edinburgh, rent included.

  • Farnborough $2,337
  • Edinburgh $2,617

A couple spends around $3,581 per month in Farnborough vs $3,956 in Edinburgh, rent included.

  • Farnborough $3,581
  • Edinburgh $3,956

A family of three spends $4,826 per month in Farnborough vs $5,295 in Edinburgh, rent included.

  • Farnborough $4,826
  • Edinburgh $5,295

Farnborough is about 11% cheaper than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Farnborough and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Farnborough by 73%, Edinburgh by 94%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Farnborough
Edinburgh
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.86 £14.90
$23.64 £17.73
-15.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$86.1 £64.6
$104 £78.2
-17.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.21 £6.91
$10.48 £7.86
-12.12%
Cappuccino
$4.58 £3.44
$5.08 £3.81
-9.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 £1.98
$2.50 £1.87
5.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 £1.52
$2.15 £1.61
-6.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.15 £5.36
$8.06 £6.04
-11.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.48 £4.86
$8.13 £6.10
-20.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Farnborough
Edinburgh
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.43 £1.07
$1.68 £1.26
-14.88%
White Bread (500g)
$1.58 £1.18
$2.29 £1.71
-31.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.71 £2.78
$2.25 £1.69
64.89%
Eggs
$3.32 £2.49
$5.05 £3.79
-34.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.65 £6.49
$9.05 £6.79
-4.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.21 £6.16
$9.49 £7.12
-13.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.43 £10.07
$16.12 £12.10
-16.69%
Apples (1kg)
$1.69 £1.27
$3.05 £2.29
-44.59%
Banana (1kg)
$1.82 £1.37
$1.93 £1.45
-5.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.96 £2.22
$3.36 £2.52
-11.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.93 £2.20
$3.68 £2.76
-20.38%
Potato (1kg)
$1.59 £1.20
$2.07 £1.55
-23.19%
Onion (1kg)
$1.58 £1.19
$1.54 £1.16
2.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.01 £0.76
$1.25 £0.94
-19.20%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.59 £0.44
$1.94 £1.45
-69.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$22.40 £16.81
$23.67 £17.76
-5.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.11 £8.33
$11.13 £8.35
-0.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.63 £1.97
$3.22 £2.42
-18.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 £1.60
$3.19 £2.40
-33.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Farnborough
Edinburgh
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.57 £1.92
$3.20 £2.40
-19.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$96.7 £72.6
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.06 £2.29
$5.18 £3.89
-40.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.53 £1.15
$1.86 £1.40
-17.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.87 £8.90
$28.69 £21.52
-58.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.87 £1.40
$2.14 £1.60
-12.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.9K £27.7K
$38.6K £29.0K
-4.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.6K £30.4K
$41.2K £30.9K
-1.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Farnborough
Edinburgh
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$163 £122
$330 £248
-50.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.11 £11.34
$16.39 £12.30
-7.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$41.99 £31.50
$42.15 £31.63
-0.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Farnborough
Edinburgh
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.7 £42.55
$44.13 £33.11
28.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.20 £18.15
$23.04 £17.28
5.03%
Cinema Ticket
$9.31 £6.98
$14.30 £10.73
-34.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Farnborough
Edinburgh
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,250 £938
$1,759 £1,319
-28.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.7K £14.8K
$25.4K £19.0K
-22.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Farnborough
Edinburgh
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.5 £67.9
$80.6 £60.4
12.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.41 £30.31
$49.45 £37.10
-18.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 £75.6
$106 £79.2
-4.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 £90.9
$115 £86.0
5.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Farnborough
Edinburgh
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,623 £1,218
$1,611 £1,209
0.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,283 £963
$1,185 £889
8.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,483 £1,863
$2,738 £2,054
-9.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,343 £1,758
$2,106 £1,580
11.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,632 £4,976
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,609 £3,458
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Farnborough
Edinburgh
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,033 £3,026
$3,522 £2,642
14.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.16
4.77
8.18%

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

Last update for Farnborough: October 10, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Farnborough
$1.3K
Edinburgh
$1.2K 7.7% $99
Eating Out
Farnborough
$309
Edinburgh
$357 15.5% $48
Groceries & Markets
Farnborough
$270
Edinburgh
$333 23.3% $63
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Farnborough
$220
Edinburgh
$389 76.9% $169
Clothing & Footwear
Farnborough
$159
Edinburgh
$158 0.7% $1.2
Sport & Entertainment
Farnborough
$75
Edinburgh
$73 3.5% $2.6
Getting Around
Farnborough
$21 *
Edinburgh
$124 491% $103

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,623 in Farnborough versus $1,611 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 15% higher in Farnborough, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in Farnborough versus $104 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $270 vs $333 – making Farnborough the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Farnborough
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🕒 Local time
22:45 10:45 PM
22:45 10:45 PM
Same time as Farnborough
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
60,652
488,050
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 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
  • Farnborough Edinburgh 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Farnborough
  • 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
Farnborough vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Edinburgh cheaper than Farnborough?
Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,505 per month in Farnborough and $3,925 in Edinburgh. 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 Farnborough, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Farnborough and in Edinburgh?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,337 in Farnborough and $2,617 in Edinburgh. That's a gap of about 12%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,250 per month in Farnborough and $1,759 in Edinburgh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $3,000 enough to cover costs in Farnborough or in Edinburgh?
$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,337 in Farnborough and $2,617 in Edinburgh. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Farnborough or Edinburgh more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Farnborough – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Farnborough or Edinburgh?
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 Farnborough. 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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