Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lincoln and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Lincoln: $2,203 a month against $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lincoln
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Lincoln Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index

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Lincoln

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,203

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,203 per month in Lincoln vs $2,601 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Lincoln $2,203
Edinburgh $2,601

A couple spends around $3,290 per month in Lincoln vs $3,985 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Lincoln $3,290
Edinburgh $3,985

A family of three spends $4,376 per month in Lincoln vs $5,369 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Lincoln $4,376
Edinburgh $5,369

Lincoln is about 15% cheaper than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lincoln and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Lincoln by 63%, Edinburgh by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.70 £20.03

$23.67 £17.76

12.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.8 £64.4

$108 £81.4

-20.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.14 £6.11

$10.71 £8.04

-24.00%

Cappuccino

$4.98 £3.74

$5.25 £3.94

-5.14%

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

$2.64 £1.98

$2.48 £1.86

6.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 £1.48

$2.17 £1.63

-9.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.70 £5.03

$7.94 £5.96

-15.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.58 £4.94

$8.00 £6.00

-17.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 £1.05

$1.69 £1.27

-17.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 £1.12

$2.35 £1.77

-36.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 £1.01

$2.36 £1.77

-43.22%

Eggs

$3.36 £2.52

$4.96 £3.72

-32.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.31 £6.23

$9.20 £6.91

-9.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 £6.44

$9.33 £7.00

-7.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.39 £8.54

$15.79 £11.85

-27.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 £2.61

$3.01 £2.26

15.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 £0.90

$1.88 £1.41

-36.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 £2.33

$3.42 £2.57

-9.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 £2.74

$3.67 £2.75

-0.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 £1.10

$2.01 £1.51

-26.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 £0.87

$1.55 £1.16

-25.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 £0.78

$1.32 £0.99

-21.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 £1.02

$1.93 £1.45

-30.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.57 £17.68

$23.23 £17.43

1.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.50 £7.88

$11.20 £8.40

-6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 £2.39

$3.12 £2.34

1.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 £2.69

$3.27 £2.46

9.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.15 £3.12

$3.14 £2.35

32.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 £80.3

$97.0 £72.8

10.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.88 £2.91

$5.43 £4.08

-28.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 £0.54

$1.82 £1.37

-60.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.84 £14.89

$28.32 £21.25

-29.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 £1.54

$2.08 £1.56

-0.96%

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

$38.6K £28.9K

0.02%

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

$40.4K £30.3K

$39.9K £29.9K

1.23%

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

$304 £228

$328 £246

-7.40%

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

$17.07 £12.81

$16.47 £12.36

3.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.02 £30.02

$42.32 £31.75

-5.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.70 £20.03

$44.41 £33.32

-39.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.35 £16.01

$23.05 £17.30

-7.38%

Cinema Ticket

$15.55 £11.66

$14.39 £10.79

8.06%

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

$1,831 £1,373

$1,775 £1,331

3.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K £15.5K

$25.6K £19.2K

-19.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 £85.9

$81.2 £60.9

41.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.6 £43.98

$49.04 £36.79

19.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 £63.7

$108 £81.2

-21.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 £74.5

$115 £85.9

-13.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 £809

$1,600 £1,200

-32.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$854 £640

$1,168 £876

-26.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,936 £1,453

$2,803 £2,103

-30.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 £1,070

$2,155 £1,617

-33.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 £1,878

$6,714 £5,037

-62.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,220 £916

$4,715 £3,538

-74.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,307 £2,481

$3,558 £2,669

-7.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.88

4.77

2.31%

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

Last update for Lincoln: October 17, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lincoln

$854 38.7%

Edinburgh

$1.2K 44.9% 36.8% $314

Eating Out

Lincoln

$363 16.5%

Edinburgh

$359 13.8% 1.1% $4.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lincoln

$361 16.4%

Edinburgh

$387 14.9% 7.2% $26

Groceries & Markets

Lincoln

$276 12.5%

Edinburgh

$332 12.8% 20.1% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Lincoln

$161 7.3%

Edinburgh

$159 6.1% 1.2% $1.9

Getting Around

Lincoln

$131 6%

Edinburgh

$124 4.8% 5.3% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Lincoln

$58 2.6%

Edinburgh

$73 2.8% 26.6% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,078 in Lincoln versus $1,600 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 8% 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 $86.0 in Lincoln versus $108 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $332 – making Lincoln the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Lincoln

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

03:14 3:14 AM

Same time as Lincoln

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

97,541

488,050

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Lincoln vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,305 per month in Lincoln and $3,902 in Edinburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lincoln, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in Lincoln and $108 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 $2,203 in Lincoln and $2,601 in Edinburgh. That's a gap of about 18%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lincoln, where all-in costs run around $2,203, than in Edinburgh at $2,601. In Lincoln it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lincoln – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Lincoln. 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.