Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lewisham and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Edinburgh: $2,645 a month against $3,125 in Lewisham, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lewisham, United Kingdom
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Lewisham
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,125
/mo nomad
Edinburgh
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,645
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,125 per month in Lewisham vs $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent included.

  • Lewisham $3,125
  • Edinburgh $2,645

A couple spends around $4,941 per month in Lewisham vs $4,021 in Edinburgh, rent included.

  • Lewisham $4,941
  • Edinburgh $4,021

A family of three spends $6,756 per month in Lewisham vs $5,397 in Edinburgh, rent included.

  • Lewisham $6,756
  • Edinburgh $5,397

Lewisham costs about 18% more than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Lewisham and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Lewisham by 130%, Edinburgh by 94%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lewisham
Edinburgh
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.68 £17.82
$24.35 £18.32
-2.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.0 £59.5
$105 £79.2
-24.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.61 £7.99
$10.47 £7.88
1.34%
Cappuccino
$4.82 £3.63
$5.02 £3.78
-3.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 £1.54
$2.41 £1.82
-14.94%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 £1.39
$2.19 £1.65
-15.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.60 £4.97
$8.04 £6.05
-17.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.11 £4.60
$7.91 £5.95
-22.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lewisham
Edinburgh
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 £1.26
$1.75 £1.32
-4.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.90 £1.43
$2.33 £1.75
-18.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.09 £1.58
$2.35 £1.77
-11.06%
Eggs
$4.44 £3.34
$5.13 £3.86
-13.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.85 £5.15
$9.05 £6.81
-24.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.39 £4.81
$9.26 £6.97
-30.99%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.87 £8.93
$16.17 £12.17
-26.59%
Apples (1kg)
$4.23 £3.18
$3.05 £2.29
38.69%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 £1.09
$1.87 £1.41
-22.99%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 £1.40
$3.35 £2.52
-44.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.39 £2.55
$3.75 £2.83
-9.60%
Potato (1kg)
$1.31 £0.98
$2.05 £1.54
-36.10%
Onion (1kg)
$1.85 £1.39
$1.53 £1.15
20.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.75 £0.57
$1.33 £1.00
-43.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.45 £1.09
$1.89 £1.42
-23.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$24.04 £18.09
$23.87 £17.96
0.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.43 £8.60
$10.96 £8.25
4.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 £1.76
$3.16 £2.37
-25.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 £1.38
$3.22 £2.42
-43.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Lewisham
Edinburgh
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.98 £2.24
$3.13 £2.36
-4.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$155 £117
$99.8 £75.1
55.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.82 £5.13
$5.45 £4.10
25.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.39 £1.80
$1.90 £1.43
25.79%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$31.24 £23.51
$28.50 £21.45
9.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 £1.57
$2.06 £1.55
1.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.1K £29.5K
$38.2K £28.8K
2.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.1K £30.2K
$39.7K £29.9K
0.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lewisham
Edinburgh
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$395 £298
$329 £248
20.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.63 £17.78
$16.81 £12.65
40.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.51 £32.00
$43.13 £32.46
-1.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lewisham
Edinburgh
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.15 £33.98
$41.84 £31.49
7.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$23.33 £17.56
-
Cinema Ticket
$16.42 £12.36
$14.67 £11.04
11.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lewisham
Edinburgh
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$792 £596
$1,901 £1,430
-58.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.2K £17.5K
$25.8K £19.4K
-9.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lewisham
Edinburgh
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$157 £118
$82.2 £61.8
90.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$67.9 £51.1
$50.0 £37.63
35.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$136 £102
$106 £79.6
28.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$127 £95.7
$115 £86.7
10.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lewisham
Edinburgh
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,235 £1,682
$1,691 £1,273
32.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,570 £1,181
$1,205 £907
30.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,085 £1,569
$2,959 £2,227
-29.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,535 £2,661
$2,184 £1,644
61.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,670 £3,514
$6,388 £4,807
-26.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,447 £3,347
$4,514 £3,397
-1.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lewisham
Edinburgh
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,143 £2,365
$3,632 £2,733
-13.47%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.54
4.77
16.14%

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

Last update for Lewisham: October 27, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lewisham
$1.6K
Edinburgh
$1.2K 23.2% $365
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lewisham
$462
Edinburgh
$389 15.7% $72
Eating Out
Lewisham
$340
Edinburgh
$361 6.1% $21
Groceries & Markets
Lewisham
$270
Edinburgh
$333 23% $62
Clothing & Footwear
Lewisham
$220
Edinburgh
$159 27.6% $61
Getting Around
Lewisham
$186
Edinburgh
$127 31.5% $58
Sport & Entertainment
Lewisham
$78
Edinburgh
$71 8.8% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,235 in Lewisham 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 16% higher in Edinburgh, 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 $79 in Lewisham versus $105 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $270 vs $333 – making Lewisham the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Lewisham
🇬🇧 Edinburgh
🕒 Local time
17:42 5:42 PM
17:42 5:42 PM
Same time as Lewisham
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
96,224
488,050
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.753 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.838 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lewisham Edinburgh 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lewisham
  • 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
Lewisham vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Edinburgh cheaper than Lewisham?
Yes – Lewisham is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,688 per month in Lewisham 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 Edinburgh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,691 there versus $2,235 in Lewisham.
Is eating out cheaper in Lewisham or in Edinburgh?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Lewisham 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 Lewisham and in Edinburgh?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,125 in Lewisham and $2,645 in Edinburgh. That’s a gap of about 18%.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Lewisham or in Edinburgh?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,125 in Lewisham and $2,645 in Edinburgh. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Lewisham or in Edinburgh?
It depends on your priorities. Edinburgh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,645 in Edinburgh to $3,125 in Lewisham. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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