Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glenrothes and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Glenrothes: $2,416 a month against $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Glenrothes, United Kingdom
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Glenrothes
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,416
/mo nomad
Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,645
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,416 per month in Glenrothes vs $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent included.

  • Glenrothes $2,416
  • Edinburgh $2,645

A couple spends around $3,465 per month in Glenrothes vs $4,021 in Edinburgh, rent included.

  • Glenrothes $3,465
  • Edinburgh $4,021

A family of three spends $4,514 per month in Glenrothes vs $5,397 in Edinburgh, rent included.

  • Glenrothes $4,514
  • Edinburgh $5,397

Glenrothes is about 9% cheaper than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Glenrothes and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Glenrothes by 78%, Edinburgh by 94%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Glenrothes
Edinburgh
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.03 £11.23
$24.35 £18.19
-38.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.7 £46.82
$105 £78.7
-40.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.45 £7.81
$10.47 £7.82
-0.19%
Cappuccino
$3.77 £2.82
$5.02 £3.75
-24.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.55 £1.91
$2.41 £1.80
5.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 £1.58
$2.19 £1.64
-3.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.09 £5.30
$8.04 £6.00
-11.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.61 £4.19
$7.91 £5.91
-29.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Glenrothes
Edinburgh
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 £1.11
$1.75 £1.31
-14.86%
White Bread (500g)
$1.76 £1.32
$2.33 £1.74
-24.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 £1.45
$2.35 £1.75
-17.45%
Eggs
$4.40 £3.29
$5.13 £3.83
-14.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.51 £6.36
$9.05 £6.76
-5.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.08 £9.02
$9.26 £6.92
30.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.75 £12.51
$16.17 £12.08
3.59%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 £2.23
$3.05 £2.28
-2.30%
Banana (1kg)
$1.36 £1.01
$1.87 £1.40
-27.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.87 £2.14
$3.35 £2.50
-14.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.84 £2.87
$3.75 £2.80
2.40%
Potato (1kg)
$1.72 £1.29
$2.05 £1.53
-16.10%
Onion (1kg)
$1.44 £1.07
$1.53 £1.14
-5.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.20 £0.90
$1.33 £1.00
-9.77%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.68 £1.25
$1.89 £1.41
-11.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$21.76 £16.25
$23.87 £17.83
-8.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.19 £8.36
$10.96 £8.19
2.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 £1.99
$3.16 £2.36
-15.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 £2.29
$3.22 £2.40
-4.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Glenrothes
Edinburgh
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.65 £2.72
$3.13 £2.34
16.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$96.9 £72.4
$99.8 £74.6
-2.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.11 £3.07
$5.45 £4.07
-24.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.35 £1.76
$1.90 £1.42
23.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.11 £18.01
$28.50 £21.29
-15.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.87 £1.40
$2.06 £1.54
-9.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.8K £29.0K
$38.2K £28.6K
1.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.1K £30.0K
$39.7K £29.7K
0.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Glenrothes
Edinburgh
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$401 £300
$329 £246
21.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.44 £20.50
$16.81 £12.56
63.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.18 £31.51
$43.13 £32.22
-2.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Glenrothes
Edinburgh
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.60 £34.81
$41.84 £31.26
11.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$23.33 £17.43
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.38 £8.50
$14.67 £10.96
-22.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Glenrothes
Edinburgh
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,756 £1,312
$1,901 £1,420
-7.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.2K £17.3K
$25.8K £19.3K
-10.18%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Glenrothes
Edinburgh
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$96.3 £72.0
$82.2 £61.4
17.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.89 £35.77
$50.0 £37.36
-4.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 £77.4
$106 £79.0
-2.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$114 £85.0
$115 £86.1
-1.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Glenrothes
Edinburgh
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,206 £901
$1,691 £1,263
-28.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,001 £748
$1,205 £900
-16.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,101 £1,569
$2,959 £2,211
-29.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,675 £1,251
$2,184 £1,632
-23.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,047 £3,770
$6,388 £4,772
-20.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,863 £2,886
$4,514 £3,372
-14.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Glenrothes
Edinburgh
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,326 £2,485
$3,632 £2,713
-8.43%
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 Glenrothes: 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
Glenrothes
$1K
Edinburgh
$1.2K 20.4% $204
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Glenrothes
$471
Edinburgh
$389 17.3% $82
Groceries & Markets
Glenrothes
$323
Edinburgh
$333 3.1% $10
Eating Out
Glenrothes
$262
Edinburgh
$361 37.6% $99
Clothing & Footwear
Glenrothes
$163
Edinburgh
$159 2.3% $3.8
Getting Around
Glenrothes
$127
Edinburgh
$127 0% $0
Sport & Entertainment
Glenrothes
$69
Edinburgh
$71 2.6% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,206 in Glenrothes 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 9% 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 $63 in Glenrothes versus $105 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $333 – making Glenrothes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Glenrothes
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🕒 Local time
13:06 1:06 PM
13:06 1:06 PM
Same time as Glenrothes
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
39,277
488,050
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
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  • Glenrothes Edinburgh 27 km
From you
  • Glenrothes
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Glenrothes vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Glenrothes cheaper than Edinburgh?
Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,624 per month in Glenrothes and $3,968 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 Glenrothes, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,206 there versus $1,691 in Edinburgh.
Is eating out cheaper in Glenrothes or in Edinburgh?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Glenrothes and $105 in Edinburgh. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Glenrothes and in Edinburgh?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,416 in Glenrothes and $2,645 in Edinburgh. That makes Glenrothes about 9% cheaper.
Is Glenrothes or Edinburgh more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Glenrothes – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Glenrothes. If higher salaries 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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