Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Newcastle upon Tyne and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Newcastle upon Tyne: $2,244 a month against $2,617 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Newcastle upon Tyne
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Newcastle upon Tyne Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
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Edinburgh Living Index

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Newcastle upon Tyne

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,244

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,617

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,244 per month in Newcastle upon Tyne vs $2,617 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Newcastle upon Tyne $2,244
Edinburgh $2,617

A couple spends around $3,335 per month in Newcastle upon Tyne vs $3,956 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Newcastle upon Tyne $3,335
Edinburgh $3,956

A family of three spends $4,427 per month in Newcastle upon Tyne vs $5,295 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Newcastle upon Tyne $4,427
Edinburgh $5,295

Newcastle upon Tyne is about 14% cheaper than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Newcastle upon Tyne and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Newcastle upon Tyne by 66%, Edinburgh by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.50 £14.63

$23.64 £17.73

-17.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 £74.0

$104 £78.2

-5.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 £7.96

$10.48 £7.86

1.24%

Cappuccino

$4.89 £3.67

$5.08 £3.81

-3.74%

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

$3.04 £2.28

$2.50 £1.87

21.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 £1.73

$2.15 £1.61

7.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.65 £4.99

$8.06 £6.04

-17.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.55 £4.91

$8.13 £6.10

-19.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 £1.03

$1.68 £1.26

-17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 £1.44

$2.29 £1.71

-16.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 £1.64

$2.25 £1.69

-3.11%

Eggs

$3.66 £2.75

$5.05 £3.79

-27.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 £7.14

$9.05 £6.79

5.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 £6.77

$9.49 £7.12

-4.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 £10.69

$16.12 £12.10

-11.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 £2.11

$3.05 £2.29

-7.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 £1.36

$1.93 £1.45

-5.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 £2.06

$3.36 £2.52

-18.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.59 £2.70

$3.68 £2.76

-2.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 £1.28

$2.07 £1.55

-17.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 £1.05

$1.54 £1.16

-9.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 £0.86

$1.25 £0.94

-8.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 £1.13

$1.94 £1.45

-22.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.47 £15.36

$23.67 £17.76

-13.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.58 £7.94

$11.13 £8.35

-4.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 £2.30

$3.22 £2.42

-4.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 £2.69

$3.19 £2.40

12.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.35 £2.51

$3.20 £2.40

4.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.1 £64.6

$96.7 £72.6

-11.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.69 £5.02

$5.18 £3.89

29.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 £1.19

$1.86 £1.40

-15.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.60 £20.71

$28.69 £21.52

-3.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 £1.56

$2.14 £1.60

-2.80%

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

$37.8K £28.4K

$38.6K £29.0K

-2.18%

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

$41.1K £30.8K

$41.2K £30.9K

-0.12%

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

$242 £182

$330 £248

-26.63%

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

$16.78 £12.59

$16.39 £12.30

2.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.04 £31.54

$42.15 £31.63

-0.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.74 £27.56

$44.13 £33.11

-16.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.21 £14.41

$23.04 £17.28

-16.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.38 £7.79

$14.30 £10.73

-27.41%

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

$1,240 £930

$1,759 £1,319

-29.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K £13.0K

$25.4K £19.0K

-31.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 £68.5

$80.6 £60.4

13.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.43 £35.58

$49.45 £37.10

-4.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £81.2

$106 £79.2

2.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 £70.7

$115 £86.0

-17.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,334 £1,001

$1,611 £1,209

-17.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 £752

$1,185 £889

-15.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,165 £1,624

$2,738 £2,054

-20.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 £1,189

$2,106 £1,580

-24.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,188 £3,892

$6,632 £4,976

-21.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,565 £2,675

$4,609 £3,458

-22.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,403 £2,553

$3,522 £2,642

-3.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.15

4.77

7.97%

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

Last update for Newcastle upon Tyne: October 11, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Newcastle upon Tyne

$1K 44.7%

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.3% 18.1% $182

Eating Out

Newcastle upon Tyne

$314 14%

Edinburgh

$357 13.6% 13.5% $42

Groceries & Markets

Newcastle upon Tyne

$301 13.4%

Edinburgh

$333 12.7% 10.6% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Newcastle upon Tyne

$301 13.4%

Edinburgh

$389 14.9% 29.1% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Newcastle upon Tyne

$154 6.8%

Edinburgh

$158 6% 2.6% $4

Getting Around

Newcastle upon Tyne

$114 5.1%

Edinburgh

$124 4.7% 8.7% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Newcastle upon Tyne

$58 2.6%

Edinburgh

$73 2.8% 26.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,334 in Newcastle upon Tyne versus $1,611 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 3% 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 $99.0 in Newcastle upon Tyne versus $104 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $301 vs $333 – making Newcastle upon Tyne the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Newcastle upon Tyne

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

10:17 10:17 AM

Same time as Newcastle upon Tyne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

809,000

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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Newcastle upon Tyne Edinburgh 150 km

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Newcastle upon Tyne vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,366 per month in Newcastle upon Tyne and $3,925 in Edinburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Newcastle upon Tyne, 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 $99.0 in Newcastle upon Tyne and $104 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 $2,244 in Newcastle upon Tyne and $2,617 in Edinburgh. That's a gap of about 17%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Newcastle upon Tyne, where all-in costs run around $2,244, than in Edinburgh at $2,617. In Newcastle upon Tyne it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Newcastle upon Tyne – 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 Newcastle upon Tyne. 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.