Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hertfordshire and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Hertfordshire: $2,499 a month against $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Hertfordshire
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Hertfordshire Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index

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Hertfordshire

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,499

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,499 per month in Hertfordshire vs $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Hertfordshire $2,499
Edinburgh $2,645

A couple spends around $3,774 per month in Hertfordshire vs $4,021 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Hertfordshire $3,774
Edinburgh $4,021

A family of three spends $5,049 per month in Hertfordshire vs $5,397 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Hertfordshire $5,049
Edinburgh $5,397

Hertfordshire is about 6% cheaper than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hertfordshire and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Hertfordshire by 84%, Edinburgh by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.87 £20.08

$24.35 £18.19

10.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 £60.6

$105 £78.7

-22.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 £7.93

$10.47 £7.82

1.34%

Cappuccino

$5.14 £3.84

$5.02 £3.75

2.39%

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

$2.42 £1.80

$2.41 £1.80

0.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 £1.56

$2.19 £1.64

-5.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.50 £4.11

$8.04 £6.00

-31.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 £4.20

$7.91 £5.91

-28.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.75 £1.31

-12.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 £1.43

$2.33 £1.74

-18.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 £2.08

$2.35 £1.75

18.30%

Eggs

$3.64 £2.72

$5.13 £3.83

-29.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.83 £5.85

$9.05 £6.76

-13.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.38 £5.51

$9.26 £6.92

-20.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 £12.60

$16.17 £12.08

4.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 £2.45

$3.05 £2.28

7.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 £1.15

$1.87 £1.40

-17.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 £2.26

$3.35 £2.50

-9.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 £2.54

$3.75 £2.80

-9.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 £0.87

$2.05 £1.53

-43.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 £1.36

$1.53 £1.14

18.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

$1.33 £1.00

-5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 £0.97

$1.89 £1.41

-31.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.92 £15.63

$23.87 £17.83

-12.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.09 £7.54

$10.96 £8.19

-7.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 £1.50

$3.16 £2.36

-36.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 £1.46

$3.22 £2.40

-39.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.54 £2.65

$3.13 £2.34

13.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.7 £64.0

$99.8 £74.6

-14.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 £3.02

$5.45 £4.07

-25.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.94 £2.94

$1.90 £1.42

107.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.16 £24.03

$28.50 £21.29

12.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 £1.50

$2.06 £1.54

-2.91%

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

$38.3K £28.6K

$38.2K £28.6K

0.28%

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

$39.8K £29.7K

$39.7K £29.7K

0.21%

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

$158 £118

$329 £246

-52.13%

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

$17.19 £12.84

$16.81 £12.56

2.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.88 £32.78

$43.13 £32.22

1.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.49 £34.73

$41.84 £31.26

11.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.33 £17.43

Cinema Ticket

$13.52 £10.10

$14.67 £10.96

-7.84%

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

$1,620 £1,211

$1,901 £1,420

-14.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K £16.7K

$25.8K £19.3K

-13.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.28 £35.32

$82.2 £61.4

-42.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.28 £29.35

$50.0 £37.36

-21.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 £55.3

$106 £79.0

-29.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 £84.1

$115 £86.1

-2.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,787 £1,335

$1,691 £1,263

5.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 £977

$1,205 £900

8.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,899 £2,165

$2,959 £2,211

-2.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,311 £1,726

$2,184 £1,632

5.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,001 £3,736

$6,388 £4,772

-21.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,819 £2,853

$4,514 £3,372

-15.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,256 £2,432

$3,632 £2,713

-10.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.21

4.77

9.22%

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

Last update for Hertfordshire: October 24, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hertfordshire

$1.3K 52.3%

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6% 7.8% $102

Eating Out

Hertfordshire

$365 14.6%

Edinburgh

$361 13.6% 1.2% $4.5

Groceries & Markets

Hertfordshire

$288 11.5%

Edinburgh

$333 12.6% 15.6% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hertfordshire

$219 8.8%

Edinburgh

$389 14.7% 78% $171

Getting Around

Hertfordshire

$124 5%

Edinburgh

$127 4.8% 3% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Hertfordshire

$123 4.9%

Edinburgh

$159 6% 29.3% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Hertfordshire

$74 2.9%

Edinburgh

$71 2.7% 3.2% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,787 in Hertfordshire 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 12% higher in Edinburgh. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Hertfordshire versus $105 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $333 – making Hertfordshire the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Hertfordshire

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

02:07 2:07 AM

Same time as Hertfordshire

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,990

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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Between locations

Hertfordshire Edinburgh 480 km

From you

Hertfordshire
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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

Hertfordshire vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,748 per month in Hertfordshire and $3,968 in Edinburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,787 in Hertfordshire and $1,691 in Edinburgh. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Hertfordshire and $105 in Edinburgh. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,499 in Hertfordshire and $2,645 in Edinburgh. That makes Hertfordshire about 6% cheaper.

It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,499 in Hertfordshire 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 Hertfordshire. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Edinburgh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.