Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Motherwell and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Motherwell: $2,306 a month against $2,724 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Motherwell
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Motherwell Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index

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Motherwell

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,306

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,724

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,306 per month in Motherwell vs $2,724 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Motherwell $2,306
Edinburgh $2,724

A couple spends around $3,342 per month in Motherwell vs $4,109 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Motherwell $3,342
Edinburgh $4,109

A family of three spends $4,377 per month in Motherwell vs $5,494 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Motherwell $4,377
Edinburgh $5,494

Motherwell is about 15% cheaper than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Motherwell and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Motherwell by 71%, Edinburgh by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.71 £14.65

$24.24 £18.02

-18.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.6 £49.51

$108 £80.4

-38.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 £7.82

$10.67 £7.93

-1.41%

Cappuccino

$4.83 £3.59

$5.10 £3.79

-5.29%

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

$2.36 £1.76

$2.48 £1.85

-4.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.40

$2.24 £1.66

-15.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.46 £4.06

$7.82 £5.81

-30.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 £5.06

$8.14 £6.05

-16.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.74 £1.29

-15.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 £1.21

$2.32 £1.73

-29.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 £1.66

$2.34 £1.74

-4.70%

Eggs

$4.06 £3.02

$4.90 £3.65

-17.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 £6.87

$9.37 £6.96

-1.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.29 £6.90

$9.62 £7.15

-3.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.02 £12.65

$15.82 £11.75

7.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 £2.20

$3.09 £2.30

-4.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 £1.12

$1.91 £1.42

-21.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 £2.08

$3.27 £2.43

-14.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.16 £2.35

$3.57 £2.66

-11.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 £1.49

$1.99 £1.48

0.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.57 £1.17

-12.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 £0.85

$1.29 £0.96

-11.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.93 £1.44

-13.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.09 £16.41

$24.15 £17.95

-8.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.53 £7.82

$10.82 £8.04

-2.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.43

$3.18 £2.36

2.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 £2.48

$3.27 £2.43

2.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.99 £2.96

$3.29 £2.44

21.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.6 £73.3

$101 £74.9

-2.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.85 £4.35

$5.29 £3.93

10.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 £1.39

$2.43 £1.80

-23.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.71 £17.62

$46.91 £34.86

-49.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 £1.62

$2.21 £1.64

-0.90%

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

$39.4K £29.3K

$38.5K £28.6K

2.32%

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

$41.1K £30.5K

$40.5K £30.1K

1.43%

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

$236 £176

$335 £249

-29.38%

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

$20.05 £14.90

$16.31 £12.12

22.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.38 £32.24

$40.88 £30.38

6.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.11 £32.78

$42.45 £31.55

3.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.62 £4.92

$24.02 £17.86

-72.44%

Cinema Ticket

$12.09 £8.99

$15.02 £11.16

-19.51%

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

$1,128 £838

$1,869 £1,389

-39.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K £16.9K

$26.0K £19.4K

-12.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 £89.5

$83.9 £62.3

43.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.45 £35.27

$47.78 £35.51

-0.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.9

$108 £80.5

-4.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 £68.4

$119 £88.5

-22.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 £943

$1,673 £1,243

-24.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 £766

$1,273 £946

-19.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 £1,553

$3,012 £2,238

-30.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,620 £1,204

$2,247 £1,670

-27.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,310 £3,947

$6,479 £4,815

-18.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,380 £2,512

$4,429 £3,292

-23.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,796 £2,821

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

4.82%

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

Last update for Motherwell: October 31, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Motherwell

$1K 44.7%

Edinburgh

$1.3K 46.7% 23.6% $243

Groceries & Markets

Motherwell

$310 13.4%

Edinburgh

$333 12.2% 7.5% $23

Eating Out

Motherwell

$305 13.2%

Edinburgh

$361 13.3% 18.4% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Motherwell

$300 13%

Edinburgh

$392 14.4% 30.7% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Motherwell

$164 7.1%

Edinburgh

$162 5.9% 1.2% $1.9

Getting Around

Motherwell

$130 5.6%

Edinburgh

$131 4.8% 1.2% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Motherwell

$68 3%

Edinburgh

$72 2.7% 6.1% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,268 in Motherwell versus $1,673 in Edinburgh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Motherwell versus $108 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $310 vs $333 – making Motherwell the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Motherwell

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

18:28 6:28 PM

Same time as Motherwell

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,120

488,050

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.35 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.35 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Motherwell
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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

Motherwell 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 eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,459 per month in Motherwell and $4,086 in Edinburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Motherwell, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,268 there versus $1,673 in Edinburgh.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,306 in Motherwell and $2,724 in Edinburgh. That makes Motherwell about 15% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,128 per month in Motherwell and $1,869 in Edinburgh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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