Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Edinburgh: $2,645 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

195

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index

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London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,086

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,086 per month in London vs $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent included.

London $4,086
Edinburgh $2,645

A couple spends around $5,891 per month in London vs $4,021 in Edinburgh, rent included.

London $5,891
Edinburgh $4,021

A family of three spends $7,696 per month in London vs $5,397 in Edinburgh, rent included.

London $7,696
Edinburgh $5,397

London costs about 54% more than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both London and Edinburgh sit above the global median – London by 200%, Edinburgh by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.55 £19.82

$24.35 £18.18

9.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £79.9

$105 £78.6

1.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 £8.05

$10.47 £7.81

2.96%

Cappuccino

$5.71 £4.27

$5.02 £3.75

13.75%

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

$3.01 £2.25

$2.41 £1.80

24.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 £1.71

$2.19 £1.64

4.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.08 £6.78

$8.04 £6.00

12.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 £6.02

$7.91 £5.91

2.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.75 £1.31

8.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 £1.51

$2.33 £1.74

-12.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 £1.83

$2.35 £1.75

4.26%

Eggs

$5.07 £3.79

$5.13 £3.83

-1.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.71 £9.49

$9.05 £6.76

40.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 £7.92

$9.26 £6.92

14.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.68 £13.20

$16.17 £12.08

9.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 £2.37

$3.05 £2.28

3.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.87 £1.40

-22.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 £2.34

$3.35 £2.50

-6.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 £2.55

$3.75 £2.80

-9.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.25

$2.05 £1.53

-18.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.53 £1.14

15.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 £1.07

$1.33 £1.00

7.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.89 £1.41

-1.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.91 £17.85

$23.87 £17.82

0.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.48 £10.06

$10.96 £8.18

22.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 £2.30

$3.16 £2.36

-2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 £3.28

$3.22 £2.40

36.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.08 £3.04

$3.13 £2.34

30.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$252 £188

$99.8 £74.5

152.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 £4.29

$5.45 £4.07

5.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.35 £2.50

$1.90 £1.42

76.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.2 £42.73

$28.50 £21.28

100.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 £1.56

$2.06 £1.54

0.97%

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

$38.0K £28.4K

$38.2K £28.5K

-0.64%

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

$40.4K £30.2K

$39.7K £29.7K

1.73%

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

$387 £289

$329 £246

17.54%

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

$18.57 £13.87

$16.81 £12.55

10.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 £30.38

$43.13 £32.20

-5.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 £42.99

$41.84 £31.24

37.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 £14.75

$23.33 £17.42

-15.35%

Cinema Ticket

$18.33 £13.68

$14.67 £10.95

24.95%

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

$2,957 £2,208

$1,901 £1,419

55.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.9K £26.8K

$25.8K £19.2K

39.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £88.7

$82.2 £61.4

44.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 £42.01

$50.0 £37.34

12.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 £97.7

$106 £78.9

23.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 £123

$115 £86.0

42.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,811 £2,099

$1,691 £1,263

66.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,291 £1,711

$1,205 £900

90.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,185 £3,871

$2,959 £2,209

75.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,805 £2,841

$2,184 £1,631

74.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.7K £13.2K

$6,388 £4,769

176.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,405 £6,275

$4,514 £3,370

86.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,070 £3,786

$3,632 £2,712

39.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

4.77

0.42%

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

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.3K 56.1%

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6% 47.4% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$446 10.9%

Edinburgh

$389 14.7% 12.8% $57

Eating Out

London

$396 9.7%

Edinburgh

$361 13.6% 8.9% $35

Groceries & Markets

London

$356 8.7%

Edinburgh

$333 12.6% 6.4% $23

Getting Around

London

$291 7.1%

Edinburgh

$127 4.8% 56.3% $164

Clothing & Footwear

London

$212 5.2%

Edinburgh

$159 6% 25% $53

Sport & Entertainment

London

$94 2.3%

Edinburgh

$71 2.7% 24.5% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,811 in London 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 40% higher in London, 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 $107 in London versus $105 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $333 – making Edinburgh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

21:16 9:16 PM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

London Edinburgh 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

London
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

London vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – London is pricier by about 54%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,129 per month in London and $3,968 in Edinburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Edinburgh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,691 there versus $2,811 in London.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,086 in London and $2,645 in Edinburgh. That makes Edinburgh about 35% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,957 per month in London and $1,901 in Edinburgh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,086 in London and $2,645 in Edinburgh. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

If budget matters most, go with Edinburgh. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.